One year ago today, Reggie joined our family. It has stretched us in every way, but we're so happy there was room to grow.
We love you, Reggie!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
toddler campout
One of my favorite things we did as a family when I was growing up was camping. I love the getting away from the noise - the slower pace of bonding on a long walk or over a smoldering fire - hearing the sounds of the night while drifting off to sleep - waking up as the sun rises still smelling of campfire...
I am really looking forward to camping when the kids get a little older. Saturday we went on a backyard camp out to test the waters. Brett was very excited about sleeping in his sleeping bag!
The kids helped Daddy set up the tent.
And had fun playing in it while Daddy grilled steak and potatoes.
Our tent is just big enough for a queen-size air mattress - just big enough for Brett, Lydia, and Momma (Daddy and Reggie slept in the house).
Brett and Lydia each got a little flashlight for the camp out - they were a big hit!
I am really looking forward to camping when the kids get a little older. Saturday we went on a backyard camp out to test the waters. Brett was very excited about sleeping in his sleeping bag!
The kids helped Daddy set up the tent.
And had fun playing in it while Daddy grilled steak and potatoes.
Our tent is just big enough for a queen-size air mattress - just big enough for Brett, Lydia, and Momma (Daddy and Reggie slept in the house).
Brett and Lydia each got a little flashlight for the camp out - they were a big hit!
We sang some campfire songs.
And the kids had their first 
Then it was time to sleep in our tent! We weren't convinced they would actually sleep in the tent, but they both spent all night outside! Brett fell asleep shortly after we went to bed, but Lydia stayed up chattering away for over an hour. I had to laugh when she announced "airplane!" as she heard one fly over us- not exactly the wilderness! And we were awakened by a couple of drunk neighbors swearing at each other (well, I've had that happen a few times in campgrounds we've stayed at...) Brett was up by 5:30 and woke Lydia and I up. We went inside and it was clear Lydia needed more sleep, so she went back to bed for a couple hours.
I'm optimistic we will be ready for a real camp out by next summer. But we'll need a bigger tent!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
stuff = memories
We got rid of all our baby stuff. Not being one to hold onto things, it was harder than I expected.
Earlier in the summer, I went to a few garage sales with my mom. At one garage sale, I bought Lydia a hat. When I went to pay for it, the lady said. "Oh, that was Sophie's first hat. Well, I'm glad it's going to a good home." Seemed like a crazy thing to say to me, and it also made me feel a little weird for buying the hat...
We held our own garage sale this weekend. People would come to me with the items they selected, and memories would flood my mind. I even caught myself telling someone that Lydia looked so cute in the outfit she was purchasing!
Earlier in the summer, I went to a few garage sales with my mom. At one garage sale, I bought Lydia a hat. When I went to pay for it, the lady said. "Oh, that was Sophie's first hat. Well, I'm glad it's going to a good home." Seemed like a crazy thing to say to me, and it also made me feel a little weird for buying the hat...
We held our own garage sale this weekend. People would come to me with the items they selected, and memories would flood my mind. I even caught myself telling someone that Lydia looked so cute in the outfit she was purchasing!
On Friday, as I was closing up shop for the day, a lady came and expressed interest in the activity table, asking if I would go down in price. It is one of the few thing we purchased new for Brett. The kids actually still play with it, but it takes up so much space, I had resolved to sell it. But when the lady wanted to buy it, I really wanted to tell her it wasn't for sale. We settled on a price, and I held back tears as I showed her how to take it apart and helped her put it in the car. Then I went into the house to tell Bryan and burst into a long monologue about how time doesn't stand still and we have to take in every minute and savor it...
June 08
May 09
May 09December 09
I have always wondered why people hold onto so much stuff. I'm beginning to understand - it's because we can't hold onto time.
Reggie is 12 months old!
I'm a couple weeks behind on blogging, but this is my most accurate record of our life for the last 3 years, so I will post anyway.
Reggie is walking most of the time now, with lots of spills. He says a lot of things, mostly imitating what he hears - as I am writing this, he is saying "zebra" from the video he is watching. And this morning he was chanting "touchdown" with the other kids. His favorite toys include my flip flops and his hairbrush - I spend a lot of time looking for both of them because they are never where I left them!
Reggie is one year old! Our youngest is over 365 days old, which is a world we have not experienced since we became parents 32 months ago! For 32 months straight, we have had a little one (or 2) under the age of one year old. (We are only 8 months in to our 32-month-long marathon of having a two year old.....)
At his one year check-up, Reggie weighed in at 24 pounds and was 31.5 inches tall. He is having a growth spurt, gaining 2 lbs and growing 2 inches in 2 months, and is wearing size 18m clothes. He has 8 teeth.
Reggie is walking most of the time now, with lots of spills. He says a lot of things, mostly imitating what he hears - as I am writing this, he is saying "zebra" from the video he is watching. And this morning he was chanting "touchdown" with the other kids. His favorite toys include my flip flops and his hairbrush - I spend a lot of time looking for both of them because they are never where I left them! 
Friday, August 13, 2010
froggy birthday
There were crafts...
...silly hats...
...frog hunt champs...
...leap frog games...
...treat bags...
...and cake...
...cake...
...yummy yummy cake...
...oh so yummy...
...cake everywhere!
...silly hats...
...frog hunt champs...
...leap frog games...
...treat bags......and cake......cake......yummy yummy cake......oh so yummy......cake everywhere!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
packers training camp
You will notice from the pictures that the kids, the camera, and I did not actually attend packers training camp. But we had a lot of fun at the water park in the hotel!
Every year, we go to a grill-your-own-steak house. Lydia and Uncle Adam played stickers while waiting.
Reggie and Daddy "cheersing".
Every year, we go to a grill-your-own-steak house. Lydia and Uncle Adam played stickers while waiting.Reggie and Daddy "cheersing".Wednesday, August 11, 2010
picnic?
With lunch/nap time quickly approaching, I strategized the best approach for making it home from the grocery store with three cranky kiddos. In a desperate attempt to keep my sanity, I aimed the car-cart in the direction of the snack isle. Once back at the car, in the 90 degree heat with two kiddos in tears, I let Brett and Lydia free and told them they'd get crackers when they sat in their car seats. That accomplished, with Reggie still confined to the backpack carrier, I turned the car on, set the AC to high, hit play on the DVD player, unloaded the groceries, and put the car-cart in the cart stall. Back to the car for another round of cheese crackers, it was now time for a round of diaper changes. We were all thirsty, and Lydia had spilled our community water bottle, so I opened up a gallon of milk, poured it in the bottle, and the kids took turns fought over it while I changed diapers and continued to pass out crackers.
Does that classify as a picnic?
Other than the non-spill-proof water bottle with milk in it, it worked out pretty good - although, not my proudest moment as a mother. Brett and Lydia did fall asleep on the 10 minute drive from the grocery store home, and I successfully transferred them to their beds. Reggie managed to stay awake, which was perfect, since he is the least likely to transfer. He sat in his highchair and had a little more lunch while I carried the groceries in and put them away, and then he was also off to dreamland!
Pictures of our vacation and the big birthday celebration coming soon...
Does that classify as a picnic?
Other than the non-spill-proof water bottle with milk in it, it worked out pretty good - although, not my proudest moment as a mother. Brett and Lydia did fall asleep on the 10 minute drive from the grocery store home, and I successfully transferred them to their beds. Reggie managed to stay awake, which was perfect, since he is the least likely to transfer. He sat in his highchair and had a little more lunch while I carried the groceries in and put them away, and then he was also off to dreamland!
Pictures of our vacation and the big birthday celebration coming soon...
Friday, August 6, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
mountain of diapers
Yes, I'm writing two posts about diapers in a row. It basically consumes my life right now.
In two days, we are leaving for our five day trip to Packer's training camp. (And, believe it or not, I am already packing!) Most of the time, we are not devout enough to use cloth while traveling, so here is the mountain of diapers I am taking with us. Six diapers per kid per day equals 90 plus a few extra. Also added to the stack are 5 nitetime dipes each for my boys because I don't want to deal with wet beds. Rounding off the mountain is what's left of our package of swim diapers. Glad we don't go through a mountain like this at home!
(That's about $35 worth of diapers.)
Sunday, August 1, 2010
diaper change
It is something that was past due. But I just dreaded investing any more money on diapers...especially for #3, most likely that last child we will have in diapers.
Reggie's dry skin is a constant battle and we just can't seem to get things under control. In particular, he always has dry patches where the outside of the diaper rubs on the insides of his thighs. I am constantly moisturizing the area, but a couple weeks ago it was cracking and red and I could tell it was irritating him. So, I surrendered to the possibility that it could be the cloth diapers I use, put him in disposables, and got to researching other options.
By Day 3, Reggie's skin was healing nicely and I had come up another cloth diapering option - fitted diapers or prefolds with wool covers. I think he is reacting to the synthetic fibers in the diapers I've been using, so my next attempt is use diapers constructed of all natural fibers. I purchased enough diapers to give it a try to see what happens, and after 3-4 days, his skin is still looking pretty good. But it's a lot of work adjusting to a new diapering system, and the diapers are bulkier under his clothing.
If the all natural fibers makes a difference in the skin around his diaper, I'm going to start being more aware of the fibers in his clothing and how that could be related to his overall dry skin issues...
In other news, I was able to renew my school counselor license last week - that's a huge weight off my shoulders!
This will be another busy week - leaving for Green Bay on Thursday! After last year's eventful trip (got the call about Reggie), our vacation will never be the same - literally.
Reggie's dry skin is a constant battle and we just can't seem to get things under control. In particular, he always has dry patches where the outside of the diaper rubs on the insides of his thighs. I am constantly moisturizing the area, but a couple weeks ago it was cracking and red and I could tell it was irritating him. So, I surrendered to the possibility that it could be the cloth diapers I use, put him in disposables, and got to researching other options.
By Day 3, Reggie's skin was healing nicely and I had come up another cloth diapering option - fitted diapers or prefolds with wool covers. I think he is reacting to the synthetic fibers in the diapers I've been using, so my next attempt is use diapers constructed of all natural fibers. I purchased enough diapers to give it a try to see what happens, and after 3-4 days, his skin is still looking pretty good. But it's a lot of work adjusting to a new diapering system, and the diapers are bulkier under his clothing.
If the all natural fibers makes a difference in the skin around his diaper, I'm going to start being more aware of the fibers in his clothing and how that could be related to his overall dry skin issues...
In other news, I was able to renew my school counselor license last week - that's a huge weight off my shoulders!
This will be another busy week - leaving for Green Bay on Thursday! After last year's eventful trip (got the call about Reggie), our vacation will never be the same - literally.
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