Grammy & Pa visit

Grammy & Pa were in town for Father's Day weekend. We had a blast with lots of outside time and some fun adventures. 

 

We went to the Fireman's Fair and had a blast! We love fairs! In between swimming in the hot tub, swinging on the swing set, playing in the yard and attic and watching some Cardinals baseball, we also went to see the Phillies vs. Cardinals on Sunday before Grammy & Pa headed home.

 

Our seats were in the shade and there was a nice breeze...perfect! The kids had their ice cream and although the Cardinals didn't win, it was a great game. 

Thanks for spending the weekend with us!

One month to go...

No one believes I'll make it, except for our doctors. Everywhere we go, people say things like "you're due soon, right?" or "are you sure it's not twins?"

I'm not a small pregnant woman. I haven't been during any pregnancy. I'm bigger than ever this time around. I have my work cut out for me after this baby arrives. But, it's my own fault...I eat. I eat healthy things and unhealthy things. I eat. And eat. And eat. 

This pregnancy has been different. I haven't had any real cravings per say, but have been consistently hungry. Insatiably hungry. Everything looks great! Everything tastes great! It's weird. Being pregnant in the spring/summer has been different. Running after two and carrying a boy who weighs 35 pounds while pregnant has also been different (but my doctor's are OK with it). I haven't worked out consistently, but I have been consistently on the go. My back hurts more and some days my ankles swell. 

This is me this pregnancy...it may not be pretty, but it's still super cool. I treasure every little kick and roll this kid gives me. I have no inclination of boy vs. girl. I'm older and yet somehow don't feel much wiser...I have no idea what it will be like to add a 3rd kid to the mix of sports and therapy schedules, or how to prepare for it. I realize this baby needs very little more than feeding, diapering, love and a good baby carrier (because, as Penny says, "mom, you can just wear the baby like you used to wear Porter"). With Penny & Porter in the mix, I have no doubt love will be plentiful.  And we'll figure it out. Can't wait to meet you baby- but please, wait a few more weeks, ok? 

Afterthoughts-

This baby has never been in my ribs- it's been sitting low the whole time (more like Porter), but it's heart rate has been in the upper 140's or 150's the entire time (like Penny). I think most people see me and guess boy, but only time will tell. 

Diaper baby

Porter moved up to a class at school where he's currently the youngest in the class...many are already four. It's been so good for him to be with the older kids, but as kids get older, they start to notice the differences more and more. Most of the kids in his class are overly helpful- the verbal redirection he's getting from his peers is fabulous for keeping him on track. But this morning, at drop off, I heard one of the boys say "diaper baby is here". Porter is just over three, but he's not yet potty trained. He's the only one in the class who isn't potty trained (although a few of the kids in the class still wear pull ups during nap time). 

We've started working on potty training. We know he's ready to get started, because he'll pull out the diaper mat, diapers and wipes when he needs to be changed. He doesn't like to have a wet diaper and he can hold it for a few hours. He sometimes signs potty right after he's gone and requests to sit on the potty. He's coming into the bathroom with RC and I more often, showing more interest. 

We sit on the potty often and we read books. But, he's just not getting it. A lot of the time he goes in a clean diaper, right after he's done sitting on the potty. And, another issue is that he's not able to pull down his own pants (his arms are just a little shorter than our arms, which makes this difficult), so he can't independently put himself on the potty.

 

We've been playing outside some days in our bathing suit with no diaper. He holds it, but then goes as soon as I put a diaper on him. I'm currently reading a book on potty training for special needs and am thinking that a schedule will really help him. He thrives on routine, so a routine we will build. I've also done a few webcasts, read many articles and understand it's not a race. I know "diaper baby" isn't a horrible tease, but it's the first tease I've heard and it's still difficult to hear.  I also know plenty of typically developing three year olds who are still working on potty training. 

He'll figure it out. And we'll celebrate. And until then, we'll work together to help him understand.

Big Happenings for Miss P!

This girl...she's been busy! In a week's time, she had dance recital rehearsal, her Pre-K Graduation and her dance recital. She is our tiny dancer....she loves her ballet and jazz class. She loves watching the older girls in their ballet class when we arrive early. And, she LOVES watching the rehearsal- she gets so excited to see her student teacher up there dancing with the competitive dancers. I love watching the excitement in her eyes! 

She practiced for both her recital and graduation and was ready for both. The graduation ceremony was so sweet! They sang three songs and got their diplomas wearing official looking caps and gowns. I'm imagining her as a high school or college senior- she looks so grown up already and time goes by so quickly- slow down little lady! 

 Her report card was stellar...she's reading Level 1 Reader books with our help on a few of the bigger words and she's doing well with addition and subtraction. She's still working on "resolving peer conflicts independently". She has a bit of trouble understanding that not everyone is going to follow her directions and rules :) Overall, we couldn't be more proud of all she's accomplished in Pre-K. She's built some amazing friendships and has had some amazing experiences.

Last night, she had her big recital. This was her third year, but her first with two dances. She let me take her picture :) She smiled on stage and danced her little heart out. I think she had fun! 

This summer is one of transition and change for her. She'll still have summer camp at daycare, but come fall, she'll leave some of her best friends, as they all head off to different school districts for kindergarten. We're hoping we can keep in touch with her best friends through dance and sports at the Y, but we're confident she'll make new friends too. Add a new baby brother or sister into the mix and she's going to have quite the summer of change. We're hoping that she settles into her new roles and routines pretty quickly and are excited for the learning she'll do as she heads off on new adventures. Keep up the good work Miss P! 

Great Expectations

Do I have great expectations or unrealistic expectations? Some days, I get down on myself. There are never enough hours in the day to do all types of therapy, make healthy  meals, do home education activities, spend quality time listening to the kids, clean the house and somehow find time for myself. I get frustrated with myself because Penny can't ride a bike, Porter could be doing "more of X, Y & Z if only I had more time to devote to him and my house is a mess (we've accumulated too much stuff). I've done very little to prepare for this baby that will arrive sometime in the next few weeks (the nursery remains a nursery, so little pickle will have a place to rest his/her head, which is all they really need I suppose). I've got work projects going on and a bucket list of things I'd love to do with the kids if only I had the time.
Everyone keeps asking me if I've started "nesting" this time around. I have my moments, but I think my version of nesting this time around means I've got big plans for these two. We did another day at Sesame recently- the temperature was in the upper 60's, which was perfect for mommy.

The crowds were light and we got to see all three shows and the parade with a nice mix of characters in between. Penny would have liked to ride more rides, but she was a good sport.  

We've also been upping our therapy game...trying to get Mr. P in good walking order. Penny coaches him on the treadmill before she takes her own turn. These days, the kids spend more time walking on the treadmill than mommy :)

We've been enjoying ice pops and playing as much as we can. On days when it's not too hot, we live for bubbles and sidewalk chalk. And, on hot days, we're thankful for our attic play area. We've been loving outdoor picnics and playgrounds and we're so very thankful for helpful family and friends! 

I've got these expectations in my head that are impossible to live up to. But, my kids have smiles on their faces and are surrounded by love. They're having great experiences. They might not be ready for summer swim team this summer, but they're living life on their own timelines, not mine. That's what I need to remember when I'm tearing myself down for the ever growing to-do list or my list of expectations for what they should be doing by now. We'll get there...and in the meantime, I need to learn to stop and enjoy these moments, because they're so incredibly special! 

Big boy haircut

Summertime...we had hit a hot spell. And, it was about time for a big-boy haircut. I LOVE Mr. P's long hair, but his hair did not love 90 degree weather. Poor kid would get sweaty! 

I wish I would have known how the big boy haircut would go...haircuts have not been a favorite of this boy. He is not a fan of a comb or scissors. 

And, while he cried when we walked into the hair salon, a little Elmo on the iPhone and he was sufficiently distracted. The thing about the big boy haircut- they use very little water and don't need the comb and scissors. Once she started with the trimmer, he was happy as could be. And, by the end, I think we officially had our best haircut to date. It's short, but great for summer. 

I think he looks handsome!