Explaining God to a 3 year old

Katelyn, you think so deeply about everything it just amazes me that you are only 3 sometimes.  You had a lot of questions about heaven and God tonight on our drive home from Grandma and Pop Pop's house.  You asked how much it cost to get there.  You really wanted to go there to see what it is like, but you did say that if you went there you would never see your house again.  We talked about Gi Gi a bit also.  You asked if God was a real person or just pretend.  I told you that God was real, but he wasn't somebody that you see with your eyes, but rather feel in your heart, to which you replied that God must be in your tummy because you could feel him moving around in there and he would probably go in your test-ins (intestines) and then you would poop him in the potty.  You do crack me up sometimes!!  You asked me if God has a gf, and if he sleeps in a bed.  What his house looks like and if he has hands.  I love that you are trying to wrap your head around this in the way you do best - asking a million questions!

First day of Nursery School

We have been talking for weeks about your first day of school.  You were not excited.  Went as far as trying to stop your birthday from coming because you knew it would bring it that much closer.  To say I was worried is an understatement.  We sat at the table last night eating dinner and chatting.  When school came up you said again that you would not be going.  I said it was ok to be nervous but that you had to try it and you began to cry.  I had no idea what to expect this morning when I woke you up.  We snuggled in the chair for a while and then you had a couple of bites of oatmeal.  We talked about how if you were sad that any of the teachers would be able to give you a hug if you needed one to feel better.  We put on your cat shirt and skirt and did your hair.  It was pouring rain outside so I took a few picture of you sitting in the chair and then we packed up the car to go.  We listened to your music on the way and you sang along quietly.  As we pulled into the parking lot you said "we're here to my school?"  When I unbuckled you and got you out of the car you said you didn't want to go, but were ok walking in with me.  Ms. Medley met us at the door and we found your hook to hang your coat on.  You trotted up the stairs smiling and we saw Mrs. VanNorstrand.  She showed us how to sign yourself in and you walked around excitedly checking everything out.  You found some crayons and coloring sheets and sat down to draw, but when you heard kids in the playroom you got right up to go see.  You made yourself right at home playing.  I stayed for a bit and then came to find you and tell you I was leaving.  You stood up and I expected you would give me a hug, but instead you scanned the room and found Mrs. VanNorstrand and gave her a big hug with a slight whimper to your face.  She hugged you back and you turned and happily started playing again.  I waited outside for a bit making sure you were ok, and you were fine.  When it was time to pick you up I tried to peak in the window of the door, but you saw me and you were so excited!  You had to wait for the teachers to call your name, and after a few other friends got called before you, you lay on the floor upset like you do.  When it was your turn you came running out to see us and gave me the biggest hug!  You had a great time and even had a bear to bring home that you colored.  We stopped out front to get a few pictures and then were on our way.  On the way home you told us you had cheesie weezies for snack and you sat with preston.  You sang songs and told us "criss cross applesauce."  You asked if we could go back to school again that day.  I am so proud of you and how brave you were.  You amaze me so much and I love you so much!

9 months old

So this morning Graham pooped and peed on the potty.  It isn't the first time.  It's actually the 3rd time!  The first time he was stinky with toots so I just decided to try since I knew he was going to be going soon anyways.  I put him up on the potty seat and showed him the grunt face and he mimicked it back and soon was pooping.  Easy as that.  So this morning I changed his diaper after getting him up and thought I would give him the opportunity to express on the potty if he wanted.  As soon as I put him up there he started grunting and knew exactly what he was supposed to be doing!  I am so completely impressed with that!  I don't really know what this will mean long turn, as this is in no way an indicator for potty training, but it will help that go more smoothly later on.  I think we will just keep offering after diaper time and if he goes great, if not, no big deal.  If anything it will save on diapers :)  The whole time he was pushing on the potty he was saying "puh," like he just knew all along what he was supposed to do.  He amazes me!

He is such a fun, sweet little guy.  Very laid back but he has spunk and can be quite silly. 

Crawling, Standing and cruising

It did not take G long to take off with crawling.  He had been crawling for less than a week when he figured out how to pull himself up on things too.  The first day he learned that he did it all day long and I even gave him his first big boy bath with just him in the tub and he pulled himself up to stand on the side of the tub.  He has no fear and has already tried to take a step from one thing to try to get to another.  He has taken a spill or two, but he's fine with a little cuddle.  He is still mommy's shadow.  If he sees her, he usually is not happy unless she picks him up.  He will crawl off and explore on his own a lot now.  Still getting up at night to eat every 3 hours.  I am exhausted.  Does not like pureed foods anymore, but will eat them in frozen cubes in the mesh feeders.  He is also enjoying steamed veggies, but I wish I remembered to do more often for him.  He does a great job out and about either sitting in the cart or in the carrier.  He loves to be in the carrier when we go out.  We went out to eat as a family a few weeks back and both of the kids did excellent.  We even got a compliment on how well-behaved they were.

K seems so grown up lately.  She looks like a little girl, instead of a toddler.  She is able to retell events really well.  She knows when things are funny and loves to try and make us laugh.  She sometimes struggles with following directions at home, but when we are out and about she does awesome!  She is a good helper at times and loves to bake with mommy.  She loves sweets a lot more than I would like.  I blame grandma for that.  I love that she does her own thing when she is with other kids.  She will play with them, but she has her own ideas and often will choose to do that instead of what the majority are doing.  She had fun playing games at a party the other day and was able to catch on really fast.  People are always surprised by her age because she is so tall and so smart with awesome speech and vocabulary.  She surprises me every day.  She loves to collect things.  We like to refer to it as hoarding.  She tries to sneak a lot of toys, books, stuffed animals or whatever to pile in bed with her at night.  She is still pretty impulsive, and can get so wild!  She is a sweetheart and she is kind and loves to cuddle.

Busy

Just this week G has been showing so much interest in getting into everything!  Last week K had a Tupperware box she dragged into the living room and G held right on behind it and walked along!  He loves to do that now!  He started getting up on all 4's on the 16th and creeped forward just a touch on the 17th.  He is still pretty lazy with sitting up.  I believe he is completely capable, but he just doesn't really want to do it yet.  He has been so happy lately.  And Loud!!!  He is shrieking out of excitement often now.  He has been getting up to eat during the night.  Found out last week at his 6 month check up that he has a slight ear infection.  Giving him a week to see if he is able to fight it off.  He is now wearing mostly 9 month clothing.  He has some 6 month outfits that still fit.  He is a happy boy a lot of the time.  He has been giving me grief going down to sleep recently and I've resorted to letting him fuss some because our normal routine does not seem to work anymore.  I had to go away overnight and he was so sad without me.  He stayed with grandma during the day, but by the evening he was glad when daddy picked him up to sleep in his own bed.  He was excited to see mommy and spent a little bit of extra time nursing and snuggling. 

Randoms at 4 months

Shopping with grandma and mommy for her birthday. G did sooo well. Played in his carseat and took a short nap. Loved to be carried around so he could see everything.

Went to the strong museum and is just such a good baby. Only fussed to eat. Loved playing in the bead sensory pit (drooling and puking also). Such a great day. K finally went on the carousel and loved it. She usually chickens out right before it starts moving. She didn't want to go on the train, but the train conductor did let her go in to see the cows that are part of the scenery.

K has been loving dumbo lately. She loves to talk about the way dumbo feels in different parts of the movie. Talks about humpty dumpty a lot too. When she sees a clock she will then talk about hickory dickory.

When G was just a couple months old K dragged him across the living room because she wanted to show him her farm animals. She also tried to put him in a cloth shopping bag while we were unpacking the groceries.

G has been sick with a cold. Mild temp with lots of phlem :( Gets coughing and pukes up the phlem. He is a trooper though and is only mildly fussy. He is such a good sweet baby.

Stills prefers mommy over anyone else. Sometimes he will be fussy and then as soon as mommy takes him he is quiet and calm again. He's my little buddy.

It is so helpful that he goes down for naps and bed. I sing him goodnight sweetheart and sway with him on my shoulder and then put him in his crib with his mobile on. He sleeps on his tummy during the day, but his back at night. He usually wakes up talking unless he's really hungry. Sometimes in the mornings he gets up early and mommy is still super tired so you go in your swing and rest for longer.

You can roll from your belly to back, but if you are upset you won't do it. You haven't rolled back to belly yet.

G wants to stand all the time and keeps his legs tight together with his buns clenched with his arms out and his eyes so excited. We tell him “Go Go Go!” to get him even more excited. I love it.

He is quite stocky and his waist is pretty thick.

K talks so much now and says some of the funniest things. She talks in complete sentences for the most part. Sometimes the tense will be off, but she does really well.

Snuggle me up

K- You have been a terrible sleeper lately.  When G arrived it got so that when you woke up at night it was just easier to just let you sleep with us than to tuck you back in your bed (if it was as easy as just tucking you in it would be no problem).  You want a snack, or your tummy hurts.  So now you are in the habit of just waking up and coming in to bed with us.  We are too tired to notice until we wake up later.  You were recently sick with a fever (roseola) and Daddy slept in your room to keep you away from the baby.  That didn't help either.  I want you to be comfortable sleeping in your bed but the other morning when I woke up with your warm little back against my back and the smell of your hair on my pillow - it made me remember that you will only be little like this once.  I lay awake and just made a mental note to remmeber how your little body felt laying snuggled up to me like that.  AS if you knew that I was awake you called out "Snuggle me up Mamma."  I rolled over and put my arms around you and held you so tight.  You can sleep in our bed as long as you want because I have a feeling you won't want to when you are a teenager - so the "problem" will eventually work itself out.  Until then I will try to remember that when the bed feels crowded and you are kicking all of the covers off of me.