Thanksgiving 2013

We certainly have so much to be thankful for this year with double the blessing!

Isaac had his first experience with the prep for Thanksgiving dinner.  He did a fantastic job drying and pricking the sweet potatoes!

Nana prepared a yummy feast!

I think Julian was a bit jealous of the aromas from the big people food but he'll have to wait another year before he can join in the yumminess.

Once Isaac was finished eating he kept Grandpa and Nana entertained.

And Thanksgiving isn't complete without after dinner snuggles with Grandpa.

Nana & Grandpa's

The trip home for Thanksgiving this year was a doozy!  It was our first time traveling a long distance with a newly potty trained little boy.  A normal trip to Alabama takes 4 hours.  This trip took 6 hours!

Once Isaac broke the seal we literally had to stop almost every two miles.  We had a handy potty seat in the back of the car for convenience.  Once we made it, Isaac had a great time helping Papa and Grandpa put together a special chair just for Isaac.

Isaac loves anything when he gets to help!

Bedtime Mischief

After Isaac was tucked in for the night we heard little foot steps upstairs and knew he was up on and the move.  He had turned his light on and was playing.  Sometimes he likes to lay in front of his door looking for one of us to be coming down the hall.  We've learned to be careful when opening the door to his room when the light is on.

After a little time had passed I didn't hear anything but couldn't see him on the monitor.  Instead of opening his door I went through Julian's room, through the bathroom and took a peak and found Isaac asleep, on the floor, in front of his door.

Such a sweet boy.  He was sound asleep so papa got him back in bed for the night.

Mr. Fix It

These evening Isaac decided he needed to fix the fireplace.  He got his tool box out, picked up a board from his workbench and held it up to the fireplace and proceeded to act like he was going to hammer it in place.

He kept coming back to his tool box to assess how many different tools he could use for the job.

This is a determined boy on a mission.

Such an inquisitive little boy!

Family Photos

Family photos are not an easy feat.  It's amazing how much energy went into capturing these photos.  I almost wish someone was taking a video of the behind the scenes action.  We were the last session of the day and the photographer, KC Elrod, spent well beyond the 20 minute time allotment.  The amount of patience she had to capture these moments was incredible.

The intent was to capture both boys for our Christmas cards.  Isaac was not interested in posing by himself with baby brother.  He wanted to run around and explore the park.  :)

Love my boys!

Potty Training: Day 5

I went to check on Julian this morning and heard Isaac in the bathroom.  He was on the potty all by himself!

Potty Training: Day 4

I thought I would try to have Isaac go without his pull-ups for naps and bedtime.  He was dry after his nap but he didn't sleep the whole time since he kept getting up to try to go potty.

Potty training is a lot of work and very exhausting getting Isaac to the bathroom while taking care of Julian.  Life with diapers was certainly easier.  Isaac didn't get his nap out today and he was cranky all afternoon.

He even had a few accidents this afternoon too but he's still learning.  This is a big step for sure.  But when he manages to go potty accident free, he's so excited and proud of himself and that makes it all worth it!

Potty Training: Night Time Trials & Tribulations

We survived another night of potty training.  I slept on the floor of Isaac's room last night to help him go potty when he woke up.  He's not the greatest bed buddy and he needs to learn to go back to sleep after going potty in the middle of the night.  It was a long night but were still making progress so it's all good.  :)

Potty Training: Day 2

Isaac really struggled with bed time last night.  He woke up at 2:00 am and he was so distraught.  He was wet and all of his bedding was wet.  Even after I got him all cleaned up he wouldn't go back to bed.  I was following a 3-day training method that's strongly opposed to using pull-ups when training but I put a pull-up on over his big boy pants.  He calmed down and went back to bed.

He was wet when he woke up this morning but completely expected after only one day of training.  However the pull-up kept his bedding dry.

Isaac loved all the stickers going on his chart after each time he went to the potty.  Today, he went poo-poo on the potty too and he got to pick out his first car!

By the afternoon he had only had three accidents but nothing on the carpet so that was a great sign of progress!

We spent lots of time playing again today and I kept a watchful eye to make sure we made it to the potty on time.   I brought up an old coffee table for him to use as a table and he loved it!

I do think I may have to come up with a different incentive for telling me when he has to go potty.  Lollipops take him a bit of time to eat and he gets tired of them.  Hmmm.  I'm sure I'll come up with something.

He's getting really good at running to the potty when he needs to go!  He's doing such a great job.  I'm super proud of him for trying.  He's certainly growing up.  :)

Potty Training Day 1

Today is the day!! Isaac's first day of potty training, hooray!

Isaac received a special package with a magic potty wand and a note from the Potty Patrol telling him all about his new adventure.

Isaac helped throw all of his old diapers away and he was super excited to get changed into his big boy pants.

The day was full of snacks and all the juice he could drink to keep him hydrated which helped him to learn when he needed to go potty.

All things considered the first day went very well.  He did have several accidents and three to four of them were on the carpet.  I picked him up and rushed him to the potty as quickly as we could get there.

Isaac got his first lollipop for telling mama he had to go potty but he actually told me "puppy" had to go but it was the first accident free trip.

The most difficult part of the fist day was nap time.  He had a really hard time settling down for a nap and I really think he was afraid to go to sleep.  But, when he woke up he was dry.  Yay for another lollipop!

Puppet Show & Dinner with Friends

This afternoon we ventured downtown and went to the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta to watch a puppet show, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  It was our first time going and I thought it was amazing.  All the kids had a great time.  Isaac did very well and given the length of the show he had to get up once.  He was a bit restless in his seat but that's understandable.  Of all the characters his favorite was Sam the Snowman, the narrator.

Afterwards we went to Atlantic station and had dinner with friends.  Isaac played around with papa's jacket after he was finished sharing snacks with Lennon.

It was a last minute decision to go to the puppet show and I'm so glad we went.  It's nice to get out and try new things and all the kids at dinner were fantastic.  It was a really nice dinner and overall a great day.

My Bed Buddy

Isaac woke up in the middle of the night and he was so startled.  He kept insisting on "mama's room".  I'm not sure if he had a bad dream but he was terribly distraught.  Since we both needed sleep I let him join me.  There was plenty of room in the bed with papa traveling.

There is nothing I enjoy more than cuddling with my boys.  I also remember what it's like to wake up from bad dreams.  I always want to be a soft landing for my boys to feel safe and loved.  Much to my surprise, he actually slept!  He snuggled up and went to sleep.  It was wonderful.

Playdate: A House Full of Fun

We hosted some friends today for some lunchtime fun and it was fantastic! Ms.  Leigh was in town with her two boys, Liam and Colton.  Ms. Lucy and little Lennon were able to join the fun along with Ms. Lori and Norah.

It didn't take long for the kiddos to toss the place.  I loved seeing Isaac playing with Liam and Colton.  It nice to hang out with the boys every now and then.   While Ms. Leigh was holding Julian her youngest didn't quite know what to expect.  It funny, cute and sad all at the same time.

Lennon decided she had enough of the toys downstairs and she ventured off on her own upstairs and went straight for Isaac's room.  Lucy found her laying on Isaac's bed cuddled up with the pillow.  I guess she was ready for nap time.

Even when she came back downstairs she ventured back up again. This time Isaac followed.  Lennon is the first girl in Isaac's room.  I think Lucy and I are going to have to keep an eye on these two.  :)

All the kids gathered in the kitchen for pizza and snacks.

It was so wonderful to spend the afternoon with friends.

Playtime with Friends

We had a very busy day playing with friends.  We started the morning with a playdate at Ms. Michele's and Isaac got to spend time with his buddy Ke-Ke (Kaylie).  While we were there Isaac's obsession with closing doors caught up with him.  He turned the light out and closed the door to the bathroom leaving Kaylie inside.  She was so upset, then Isaac was upset but it was a good teaching moment to explain why we don't close doors on people.  He was very cute though when he apologized to Ke-Ke.

After lunch it was time for Isaac's nap and I was able to spend some snuggle time with Julian.

Then it was time for more playtime with little Lennon.  The amount of destruction these two can do together is impressive.  Isaac goes after one toy so Lennon goes after another and then they automatically try to out do each other.  They're so fun to watch.

Isaac Stinker Moment: Lipliner Creativity

This evening, Isaac was playing and I took Julian upstairs to change his diaper and clothes.  While I was with Julian the strangest feeling washed over me and I knew, just knew, my mischievous monkey was up to something.  As soon as I was finished I yelled for Isaac to come to the bottom of the stairs and the look on his face said it all.

He had a wry look with a bit of a twinkle in his eye and a hint of disappointment that mama had interrupted his fun. Upon closer evaluation once I reached the bottom of the stairs I saw what he had on his face.  My loving stinker had drawn a lovely beard on himself.

Once I rounded the corner I found additional artwork on the backdoor.

His artistic tool of choice.....mama's lipliner of course.  There's never a dull moment around here.

A Cold Afternoon at the Park

This afternoon we had a playdate scheduled at the park.  It's amazing how much the temperature dropped from this morning to this afternoon that it caught most of us off guard.  It was cold, much colder than I expected and much too cold to keep Julian out even with him bundled up that we didn't stay long.

However, it was long enough for Lennon and Isaac to hang out, enjoy a few snacks and walk each other back to the cars.

These two are so adorable together!!

Touring Isaac's New School

I've heard so many wonderful things about a local Mom's Morning Out program for toddlers.  This particular program is at the Methodist Church and is only a few miles away.  For Isaac's age group the program is two mornings a week from 9 am to 1 pm and follows the school calendar.  I went by to check out the program this past summer and put Isaac on the waiting list.  The program began in August but I was so concerned about him starting a new program while expecting a new baby brother at the same time.  I didn't want this little world to have to much change at one time.

This past week I received a call that a spot had opened up for him and the timing is simply perfect.  He's so curious, engaged and interested in everything right now that some independent time away from mama and baby would be wonderful to feed his little mind.  Today we took a tour of the school and met his teachers and classmates.

He'll be in the same class with his buddy Lennon.  All the kiddos were circled up for story time.

Isaac started playing with the other kids and was comfortable enough for me to step out to complete his registration paperwork.  When I came back they discovered how dexterous he was as well as his fascination with doorknobs.

He did very well for the short time I was down the hall.  His official start date is December 2nd.

I'm very excited to see how well he likes school.  Only a few more weeks!!

Julian's 3 Month's Old!

Julian - You are such a blessing.  From the moment you were first placed into my arms I've been in awe of you.  I feel so grateful to be your mama and watching you grow is a joy that's simply indescribable.  You are a wonderful baby, so happy and laid back.  I love your coo's and sweet sounds.  And your smile is incredible.  I love kissing your cheeks and watching your smile take over and widen.

Julian is continuing to grow and flourish.  However, my heart breaks during feedings when his reflux flairs up.  It is so hard to see him struggle and spit up so much of formula.  Every 3-4 days he'll have a colicky episode that causes him to cry for 1-3 hours at a time.  It's awful to hear him cry in discomfort and nothing I try seems to work so I just hold him and rock him.  Sometimes we sing, sometimes we dance and sometimes we rock until the discomfort passes.  I continue to be reassured by the doctor that this too shall pass.

I'm amazed at the changes Julian has made in three short months.  The head full of luscious dark hair has faded and the new fuzzy growth is coming in.  With the reflux, we pretty much cycle through all of his clothes every couple of days so he's mostly wearing one piece pajamas that are easy to get on and off.  He's growing so much and his feet are so big they're snug in several of the six month sized pajamas that I'm already buying nine month sized clothes for him.

He loves to have something in hands he can grab onto so he's really starting to bond with his puppy.  Julian also really loves to be nuzzled up when he sleeps.  He wants something soft touching his face before he can fall asleep. Jules loves his binky too but when ever it falls out he doesn't hesitate to try his fingers.  He hasn't decided between his fingers or thumb but he continues to try for the thumb so we'll just have to see.

I love how the pictures below capture his growing changes over the past month.  I sure do love this little boy!

10/13/13

10/21/13

10/21/13

10/25/13

10/27/13

10/28/13

10/29/13

10/30/13

10/31/13

11/1/13

11/2/13

11/5/13

11/6/13

11/6/13 

11/8/13 

11/9/13

11/10/13

11/11/13