Just wanted to wish my babies a happy 9 month birthday! It's amazing that they've been here in our lives for as long as they were in my belly.
Life is good. :-)
Our Family
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
There is nothing quite like it...
Hi everyone -
I keep mentioning how the boys are eating more and more ofour my food all the time.
So when we all sat down to dinner last night (boys in high chairs, Brian and I at the kitchen table), I had to pause for a second...we are a family. We were all sitting down to have dinner together and interacting with each other.
I remember as a kid it was always a big deal when we all sat down to have a meal together. With 5 kids, schedules were very busy, and finding a time to have dinner with everyone was a challenge. I do recall various comments about how quiet it was some nights when one or two of us weren't at the table, but I also recall mom commenting on how loud it was or how interesting the conversation was when we were all there.
As a mom now, I understand why it is important to sit down and have a meal together as a family. It is about spending time together - sharing what happened during your day, laughing, and just enjoying your own little piece of life. I am pretty sure this will be easy over the next few years, but when the boys get older, and more involved in other activities, we are going to need to make time to have dinner with everyone together at least once a week.
Some of you might ask why I'm being so sentimental?
Because there is nothing like sharing your steak, peas, mashed potatoes, and biscuits with your children...even if they are eating off your plate, and only 9 months old.
Have a great Wednesday!
Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln, and Jackson
I keep mentioning how the boys are eating more and more of
So when we all sat down to dinner last night (boys in high chairs, Brian and I at the kitchen table), I had to pause for a second...we are a family. We were all sitting down to have dinner together and interacting with each other.
I remember as a kid it was always a big deal when we all sat down to have a meal together. With 5 kids, schedules were very busy, and finding a time to have dinner with everyone was a challenge. I do recall various comments about how quiet it was some nights when one or two of us weren't at the table, but I also recall mom commenting on how loud it was or how interesting the conversation was when we were all there.
As a mom now, I understand why it is important to sit down and have a meal together as a family. It is about spending time together - sharing what happened during your day, laughing, and just enjoying your own little piece of life. I am pretty sure this will be easy over the next few years, but when the boys get older, and more involved in other activities, we are going to need to make time to have dinner with everyone together at least once a week.
Some of you might ask why I'm being so sentimental?
Because there is nothing like sharing your steak, peas, mashed potatoes, and biscuits with your children...even if they are eating off your plate, and only 9 months old.
Have a great Wednesday!
Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln, and Jackson
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
More firsts to note!
Well, a lot happens in 2 weeks!
First things first...
I know, it's been a bit of time since we've given everyone an update. We were so relieved once we had everyone out of the hospital, I forgot that we still have "issues" we are tending to.
Grandma Hart - still doing well. nothing new to report since her last visit to Dr. Starnes. Just continuing to work on her strength to get back on her feet completely.
Mawma - mom is going to have another small outpatient procedure on Thursday. She's still having issues "going" since her surgery in early September. Hopefully they can get things fixed up this week so she's back to her old self before the holidays.
Jackson - Jackson continues to improve each and every day. We took him for a helmet check-up last Thursday, and his differential is down to 2 mm (remember - we started at 20). We were targeting 0-3, so this is great success. They recommended leaving him in the helmet for a few more weeks, so we'll go back on 11-8 for another check up. If he's around a 1 or 2, then we'll start weaning him out of his helmet. We are looking forward to that...as cleaning his helmet each night becomes challenging with everything else we have to do, plus he is such a handsome man - we don't want to hide him behind that helmet anymore!
We take him back to therapy this coming Friday again. He doesn't like therapy much any more - cried when he saw his normal therapist at his last appointment. I think he just gets frustrated as he wants to play with all the neat toys they have, but they want him to do his stretches and strengthening. We go to therapy on Friday afternoons now, and will continue going until he is walking, so a few more months yet. Please continue to pray for his continued improvement!
The Whole Family - unfortuantely, our whole family dealt with a terrible stomach bug last week. I was home from work Monday and Tuesday. Then on Wednesday, I had to take Brian home at lunch time, and he was out the rest of the week. The boys showed some signs throughout the week, but the worst came on Thursday. I picked them up early on Thursday from daycare, and we needed to keep them home on Friday. We didn't leave the house till Sunday! Thankfully, it has run it's course, and we are all back to 100% now!
What have we been up to?
I am happy to report that our bathroom/drywall is all finished, and the kitchen table is back where it belongs. Although, we do still eat dinner on the couch some nights. :-)
We've been enjoying some quiet weekends at home over the past month. It's very nice not to pack everyone up and head out on the weekends. We love spending time with family and friends, but driving with two little boys is getting quite challenging. Unfortunately, we missed Uncle Larry and Aunt Shirley's 45th wedding anniversary the weekend of the 16th. We opted to stay home instead, and had a fairly productive weekend. We mostly went shopping on Saturday - running some errands, and working on Christmas shopping. We know that Christmas shopping in the future will be much more difficult. Right now, we can buy things even when the boys are with us...and they do not know the difference! We are taking advantage of it while we can. Sunday was a trip to church, and tidying up things around the house.
We purchased a baby gate, and put it up in the doorway between the hallway and the kitchen. After the first few days, the boys didn't really pay much attention to it. However, they are getting smarter all the time, and when it is open, they make a dash for it! We have to watch them ALL the time!
With the boys being sick this past weekend, we really didn't do too much. Brian went to his moms on Saturday, while I stayed home and changed poopy diapers (literally). Sunday, we went to church, then came home and made pancakes for breakfast (the boys love pancakes). Brian cleaned off the picnic table so that we can hopefully get it all sealed in the next week or so. I worked on cleaning up the kitchen, including cleaning out the bottom drawer of the stove, and we did laundry. Lots and lots of laundry - trying to get rid of all those ugly germs! We all made a trip to the grocery store in the evening before preparing for the week ahead.
This week is going to be busy again getting ready for Halloween this weekend. We hope everyone has a great week, and we'll post another update soon!
Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln and Jackson
First things first...
- Lincoln figured out the sippy cup last week. Thursday night (10-21) he was just chugging juice - I think he was holding out on us for quite some time!
- Jackson is talking more. We can't really make it out, but mostly it sounds like "Ba" (maybe bottle, maybe trying to say Ma or Dad?) He rambles on like he's telling us a whole story...so we are pretty sure that he'll be a chatterbox when he gets older!
- Jackson finally got his first tooth yesterday (10-25)! It is his bottom right tooth. We are very excited!
- More firsts for food - the boys have eaten yogurt, cheese slices, pizza, pasta, carrots, potatoes, black beans, rice, toast, chicken - pretty much everything. Last night, we grabbed dinner from a local restaurant (Chipotle) on our way home, and I couldn't shovel it into their little mouths fast enough. They even loved the bites of tomato from the salsa!
- Lincoln is getting too smart. He knows when his brother has a full bottle/sippy cup and he doesn't, and he'll make sure to tell us that he's not happy about it!
I know, it's been a bit of time since we've given everyone an update. We were so relieved once we had everyone out of the hospital, I forgot that we still have "issues" we are tending to.
Grandma Hart - still doing well. nothing new to report since her last visit to Dr. Starnes. Just continuing to work on her strength to get back on her feet completely.
Mawma - mom is going to have another small outpatient procedure on Thursday. She's still having issues "going" since her surgery in early September. Hopefully they can get things fixed up this week so she's back to her old self before the holidays.
Jackson - Jackson continues to improve each and every day. We took him for a helmet check-up last Thursday, and his differential is down to 2 mm (remember - we started at 20). We were targeting 0-3, so this is great success. They recommended leaving him in the helmet for a few more weeks, so we'll go back on 11-8 for another check up. If he's around a 1 or 2, then we'll start weaning him out of his helmet. We are looking forward to that...as cleaning his helmet each night becomes challenging with everything else we have to do, plus he is such a handsome man - we don't want to hide him behind that helmet anymore!
We take him back to therapy this coming Friday again. He doesn't like therapy much any more - cried when he saw his normal therapist at his last appointment. I think he just gets frustrated as he wants to play with all the neat toys they have, but they want him to do his stretches and strengthening. We go to therapy on Friday afternoons now, and will continue going until he is walking, so a few more months yet. Please continue to pray for his continued improvement!
The Whole Family - unfortuantely, our whole family dealt with a terrible stomach bug last week. I was home from work Monday and Tuesday. Then on Wednesday, I had to take Brian home at lunch time, and he was out the rest of the week. The boys showed some signs throughout the week, but the worst came on Thursday. I picked them up early on Thursday from daycare, and we needed to keep them home on Friday. We didn't leave the house till Sunday! Thankfully, it has run it's course, and we are all back to 100% now!
What have we been up to?
I am happy to report that our bathroom/drywall is all finished, and the kitchen table is back where it belongs. Although, we do still eat dinner on the couch some nights. :-)
We've been enjoying some quiet weekends at home over the past month. It's very nice not to pack everyone up and head out on the weekends. We love spending time with family and friends, but driving with two little boys is getting quite challenging. Unfortunately, we missed Uncle Larry and Aunt Shirley's 45th wedding anniversary the weekend of the 16th. We opted to stay home instead, and had a fairly productive weekend. We mostly went shopping on Saturday - running some errands, and working on Christmas shopping. We know that Christmas shopping in the future will be much more difficult. Right now, we can buy things even when the boys are with us...and they do not know the difference! We are taking advantage of it while we can. Sunday was a trip to church, and tidying up things around the house.
We purchased a baby gate, and put it up in the doorway between the hallway and the kitchen. After the first few days, the boys didn't really pay much attention to it. However, they are getting smarter all the time, and when it is open, they make a dash for it! We have to watch them ALL the time!
With the boys being sick this past weekend, we really didn't do too much. Brian went to his moms on Saturday, while I stayed home and changed poopy diapers (literally). Sunday, we went to church, then came home and made pancakes for breakfast (the boys love pancakes). Brian cleaned off the picnic table so that we can hopefully get it all sealed in the next week or so. I worked on cleaning up the kitchen, including cleaning out the bottom drawer of the stove, and we did laundry. Lots and lots of laundry - trying to get rid of all those ugly germs! We all made a trip to the grocery store in the evening before preparing for the week ahead.
This week is going to be busy again getting ready for Halloween this weekend. We hope everyone has a great week, and we'll post another update soon!
Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln and Jackson
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Wednesday Tidbits...
So, in my last post, I made it sound like Lincoln is ALWAY the first to do everything. I should have said that Lincoln is USUALLY the first to do things. Which would only be right, as he was born first!
Here are a few things to share with you regarding our week!
Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln and Jackson
Here are a few things to share with you regarding our week!
- Last weekend, we began trying to work on getting the boys to drink out of a sippy cup. Surprisingly, Lincoln wanted nothing to do with the cup. Jackson however had it figured out by Sunday. So, now we send a sippy cup to daycare with diluted apple juice for Jackson to have during snacks, or whenever he's impatient and won't eat his food.
- It is becoming more and more commonplace for me to "share" my dinner with the boys. Mostly they've been eating vegetables and breads, which they can easily chew up and eat. Well, last night I made Chicken Cordon Bleu (don't worry - I used mozzerella) for dinner. Jackson was standing beside the couch as I ate my dinner (I'll explain eating dinner on the couch shortly), so I decided I would give him a small bite of chicken. He LOVED it. He just stood there for about 10 minutes eating chicken! I even gave him some with the breading and spicy mustard - didn't matter, he still wanted more. Guess I'll need to start cooking for "3" or else I won't get anything to eat if I share my food with both boys!
- Why was I eating dinner on the couch? Well, it all started about 5 years ago....literally. The first Christmas after we moved into the house, we had a water leak in our upstairs master bathroom, and it flooded our breakfast nook. We had to tear most of the drywall out of the breakfast nook, and also had to replace the floor in the bathroom. We decided to put a tile floor in instead of lamanate. Well, by doing that, it raised the height of the toilet, and when the contractor reset the toilet, they didn't account for that. So, unfortunately, the toilet didn't seal correctly, and has been slowly leaking for about 4 1/2 years. The contractor is working on "making it right" this week, so we had to move our table out of the breakfast nook - which means dinner on the couch. Yesterday they tore out a small piece of drywall (not much was affected by the leak thankfully), checked all the support beams, treated the inside portion of the walls, and patched up the drywall. They were back out today to sand the drywall and put a second coat on. They are hoping that they can finish up the drywall, paint the affected area, and reset the toilet tomorrow. So, hopefully we'll be back to eating at the table by the weekend!
- Please say some prayers for all of us this week - we need it. Lincoln's entire top gum is swelled - he has his 2 bottom teeth in already, but about 4 more are coming in on the top. Poor things just hasn't been himself this week! Jackson is still working on his bottom 2 teeth, and we are really hoping this week is the week, as he has been extremely fussy!
Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln and Jackson
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Proud mom!
As you all know, Jackson has been going to therapy for nearly 3 months now to correct his Torticollis. Every other week we take him to be evaluated, and they tell us what has improved, and what we need to work. We are then responsible for doing therapy with Jackson each day.
With Jackson being a twin, after they point out things to work on, we usually go home, and watch what both of our boys are doing. In most cases, we observe Lincoln, and he is doing things that Jackson struggles with. As a parent, I am often times conflicted: happy and excited to see Lincoln do things, but also sad that Jackson is struggling with his development. We celebrate Lincoln's milestones, but try not to make a big deal that Lincoln does things first all the time.
Today, I want to share a story from last night with you.
Before dinner, the boys were playing on the floor in the kitchen together. Jackson was on his belly, spinning in circles (which was part of his therapy in the early stages - we had to make sure he was spinning in both directions). This is how Jackson changes which direction he goes in. Brian saw him spinning, and asked me why Lincoln had never really done that. Should he have? (See, we worry about both of them!)
I explained to Brian that it was ok that Lincoln hadn't ever done that, as pretty much from the start of his crawling, he had learned to transition into sitting. Therefore, he didn't need to spin - he would sit up, and change directions.
For about a month and a half, as part of his therapy, we've been working on getting Jackson to transition from crawling into sitting. So, seeing Jackson still spinning last night at dinner time, was a bit discouraging. But that all changed an hour or so later. :-)
Last night was bath night. For some reason, I decided to give the boys a bath in the big tub, instead of in their smaller one. We've done this before, but with the boys being so mobile, it is quite a chore to get them cleaned up as they roll over, crawl and splash in the big tub. But, last night I threw caution to the wind, and I couldn't be happier with my decision.
I gave Lincoln his bath first, and I was soaked and exhausted afterward. But he sure had fun!
Jackson was next, and he was sitting in the tub to begin with. He spotted the 2 little rubber duckies sitting on the edge of the tub, so down on all fours he went, and crawled over to get them. Then, much to my surprise, he sat back down and played with them! I couldn't hardly believe it at first...but then he did it again, and again. Although the rest of bath time was a struggle to get him to lay down, sit still, etc. so I could get him clean, I was so happy and so proud! He was finally doing it!
I noticed he was still doing it this morning. First he crawled in to sit beside my feet while I was getting around for work. And again when I was in the kitchen traying to pack my lunch. This little guy has had a rough few months with his therapy and that stinking helmet (it really does get smelly - thank God for cooler weather coming), and I'm just so proud of the progress that he's made. He continues to work very hard, and yet has mainedtained his happy demeanor throughout. I just couldn't help but share my excitement with all of you.
I hope that you all are proud of your kids each day, as even the smallest little accomplishments are so amazing!
Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln and Jackson
With Jackson being a twin, after they point out things to work on, we usually go home, and watch what both of our boys are doing. In most cases, we observe Lincoln, and he is doing things that Jackson struggles with. As a parent, I am often times conflicted: happy and excited to see Lincoln do things, but also sad that Jackson is struggling with his development. We celebrate Lincoln's milestones, but try not to make a big deal that Lincoln does things first all the time.
Today, I want to share a story from last night with you.
Before dinner, the boys were playing on the floor in the kitchen together. Jackson was on his belly, spinning in circles (which was part of his therapy in the early stages - we had to make sure he was spinning in both directions). This is how Jackson changes which direction he goes in. Brian saw him spinning, and asked me why Lincoln had never really done that. Should he have? (See, we worry about both of them!)
I explained to Brian that it was ok that Lincoln hadn't ever done that, as pretty much from the start of his crawling, he had learned to transition into sitting. Therefore, he didn't need to spin - he would sit up, and change directions.
For about a month and a half, as part of his therapy, we've been working on getting Jackson to transition from crawling into sitting. So, seeing Jackson still spinning last night at dinner time, was a bit discouraging. But that all changed an hour or so later. :-)
Last night was bath night. For some reason, I decided to give the boys a bath in the big tub, instead of in their smaller one. We've done this before, but with the boys being so mobile, it is quite a chore to get them cleaned up as they roll over, crawl and splash in the big tub. But, last night I threw caution to the wind, and I couldn't be happier with my decision.
I gave Lincoln his bath first, and I was soaked and exhausted afterward. But he sure had fun!
Jackson was next, and he was sitting in the tub to begin with. He spotted the 2 little rubber duckies sitting on the edge of the tub, so down on all fours he went, and crawled over to get them. Then, much to my surprise, he sat back down and played with them! I couldn't hardly believe it at first...but then he did it again, and again. Although the rest of bath time was a struggle to get him to lay down, sit still, etc. so I could get him clean, I was so happy and so proud! He was finally doing it!
I noticed he was still doing it this morning. First he crawled in to sit beside my feet while I was getting around for work. And again when I was in the kitchen traying to pack my lunch. This little guy has had a rough few months with his therapy and that stinking helmet (it really does get smelly - thank God for cooler weather coming), and I'm just so proud of the progress that he's made. He continues to work very hard, and yet has mainedtained his happy demeanor throughout. I just couldn't help but share my excitement with all of you.
I hope that you all are proud of your kids each day, as even the smallest little accomplishments are so amazing!
Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln and Jackson
Monday, October 11, 2010
Special dates in October...
- Uncle Bob and Aunt Norma Gels celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary on October 5
- Aunt Shirley and Uncle Larry celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary this past Saturday (October 9)
- Pat and Barb Brocki celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary on October 10
- Sean O'Connor has a birthday coming up on the 15th
- Justin Zank's birthday is October 24
- Aunt Marie and Uncle Jim celebrate their 32nd wedding anniversary on October 28
- Gram and Pete celebrate their 11th wedding anniversary on October 29
- Peyten turns 14 on October 31
Catching up and noting firsts...
Wow - a lot can happen in just a few weeks! We've had our challenges, but also lots of fun - and we've survived!
First, let me thank everyone for their prayers, as they at least partially worked. I was able to drive part of the trip to my parents a few weeks ago, and only spent half the trip in the back seat with the boys. Anyway...
We had a great visit that weekend at my parents. The boys met Gaylan Thiel for the first time (she's stopped by to see them, but we always seem to be gone), and visited with Gaylan's daughter Rachael as well.
We shared some tapioca pudding with the boys, and they seemed to like it.
We went to 4:00 church, and afterward we visited with Great-Grandma Emmie and Pete for a while. Gram couldn't believe how big the boys had gotten, and how they crawl and sit up - boy, she should see them now!
Sunday, we had a chance to see Lyn, RJ, Lylah, and Knox for a bit before we had to head back to Cincy.
The trip back wasn't too bad, as we stopped in Fort Recovery to see Grandma Hart and to feed the boys. It was a productive stop, as Seth brought out all sorts of toys the boys loved, which gave us lots of ideas for Christmas and birthday gifts!
Monday morning, the boys and I had to say goodbye to Brian, as he headed off to New York for work. It was very late on Tuesday night (actually, 12:40 Wednesday morning) when he arrived safely back home. Handling two active little boys on my own is very trying, so a special thanks to Uncle Aaron for coming and helping to feed the boys their fruit and cereal before bedtime, and helping out with baths. I hope the boys didn't stress you out too bad!
Wednesday evening of that week, Brian went and picked up Grandma Hart. She had an appt. with her surgeon. It was a great appointment, as she doesn't have to go back and see Dr. Starns again unless she is having difficulty swallowing. She'll still need to follow-up from time to time with Dr. Girard (her cancer doctor), just to keep an eye on things.
Grandma Hart was with us Thursday night as well, and although she isn't strong enough to get down and play with the boys, she enjoyed getting to see them and all their tricks. Brian took her back on Friday. So, it was an exhausting week for me to say the least, as Brian was often gone during feeding time.
Saturday, Brian headed off to the Red's game, so the boys and I went shopping with my friend Jennie. We got a few little decorations for Christmas, and LOVED the Mediteranean restaurant where we had lunch. Jennie's mom joined us too, and it was so great to see Debbie! After lunch, the boys and I went to visit Stony at Uncle Aarons. I hadn't seen him since he moved over a year ago. I think he's still having a hard time believing I have 2 kids now, but it was so nice to see him and visit, even if it was only for a short time. All in all, Saturday was a great day!
Sunday was our usual trip to church, then a quick shopping trip to get winter coats, hats, and gloves for the boys. Two kids gets pretty expensive when the seasons and their size changes!
Sunday night, Jackson and the kitchen chair had their first go round - and the chair won. The boys are pulling themselves up on everything, and the kitchen chairs fascinate the boys. However, they aren't heavy enough (evidently), and topple if the boys are on the wrong side. Check out the gallery for pictures (week 36 - he has a little cut over his right eye)! Thankfully, he had his helmet on, or it could have been much worse.
Last week the ups and downs continued.
Monday evening I came down with a stomach bug, and was home sick from work on Tuesday. Thankfully, no one else has gotten it! Since I wasn't feeling well, Brian was in charge of dinner Tuesday night. He made Velvetta shells and cheese, so we let the boys try it. They both loved them!
That night (October 5) was the first that we've seen Jackson pick up the puffs and put them in his mouth. I think he was able to do it before then, but he would holler, and I would give in and put them in his mouth. Now, we can't get the puffs to stay on either of the boys trays for very long!
Wednesday night we watched the Red's in their first playoff game. Not quite the result we were hoping for, but the stuffed shells I made that night were delicious! Thursday night I made enchiladas, and Lincoln tried a few bites. He seemed to like it, but was more interested in playing.
Friday night, all 4 of us went to Meijer grocery shopping after work. It was definitely cheaper when the boys and I went shopping without Brian, but we picked up quite a few things that were needed for some home maintenance. After the grocery trip, we hurried home to watch the 2nd playoff game for the Red's. We were hopeful at first when the Redlegs had a 4 run lead, but that quickly dwindled, and again, not the result of the game we were hoping for.
Saturday we had a great day spending time together as a family.
We loaded the boys in the truck, and finally headed up to the new outlet mall in Monroe. We were hoping to find clothes for ourselves and for the boys, but I was the only one lucky enough to find much. A few more shirts and sweaters and I should be set for winter! As for the boys...guess it's time to head back to Once Upon a Child and see what they have.
Satruday afternoon, the boys had some of Mawma's home canned sweet potatoes - and they LOVED them! Saturday evening brought more table food trial as I shared my roasted potatoes and carrots that I had cooked with a turkey breast with each of them. I was surprised that Lincoln ate the carrots, as he hates the baby food carrots. However, both the boys ate quite a few potatoes and carrots!
Sunday morning we actually made it to 9:00 church - which anymore, is quite the accomplishment for us! After church, we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast - and the boys first taste of pancakes! Although they weren't too sure of them at first, they warmed up to them once we made sure they were soaked good in maple syrup. :-)
The rest of the afternoon was time at home preparing for the week ahead. Brian did some more yard work (he worked outside some Saturday afternoon as well), and I tended to washing bottles, doing dishes, laundry, and making dinner (homemade Turkey and rice soup). After the long weekend, the boys were very tired, and went to bed just shortly after 8:00 when the Red's game started. (Again, another loss, so the playoff excitement in Cincy is over).
Hopefully this week will be a bit calmer, yet productive. We still have some projects around home to tend too (putting the safety latches on cabinets, hiding as many cords as we can from the boys, etc.), and we hope to continue introducing the boys to more table food so that we can start weening them off baby food. I also need to get back to picking out pictures to print and share with the grandparents, and we need to work on getting some more Christmas shopping done as well. Friday is another therapy appointment for Jackson, so we'll send another update later in the week.
Hope everyone is healthy, happy and well. Happy Autumn!
Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln and Jackson
First, let me thank everyone for their prayers, as they at least partially worked. I was able to drive part of the trip to my parents a few weeks ago, and only spent half the trip in the back seat with the boys. Anyway...
We had a great visit that weekend at my parents. The boys met Gaylan Thiel for the first time (she's stopped by to see them, but we always seem to be gone), and visited with Gaylan's daughter Rachael as well.
We shared some tapioca pudding with the boys, and they seemed to like it.
We went to 4:00 church, and afterward we visited with Great-Grandma Emmie and Pete for a while. Gram couldn't believe how big the boys had gotten, and how they crawl and sit up - boy, she should see them now!
Sunday, we had a chance to see Lyn, RJ, Lylah, and Knox for a bit before we had to head back to Cincy.
The trip back wasn't too bad, as we stopped in Fort Recovery to see Grandma Hart and to feed the boys. It was a productive stop, as Seth brought out all sorts of toys the boys loved, which gave us lots of ideas for Christmas and birthday gifts!
Monday morning, the boys and I had to say goodbye to Brian, as he headed off to New York for work. It was very late on Tuesday night (actually, 12:40 Wednesday morning) when he arrived safely back home. Handling two active little boys on my own is very trying, so a special thanks to Uncle Aaron for coming and helping to feed the boys their fruit and cereal before bedtime, and helping out with baths. I hope the boys didn't stress you out too bad!
Wednesday evening of that week, Brian went and picked up Grandma Hart. She had an appt. with her surgeon. It was a great appointment, as she doesn't have to go back and see Dr. Starns again unless she is having difficulty swallowing. She'll still need to follow-up from time to time with Dr. Girard (her cancer doctor), just to keep an eye on things.
Grandma Hart was with us Thursday night as well, and although she isn't strong enough to get down and play with the boys, she enjoyed getting to see them and all their tricks. Brian took her back on Friday. So, it was an exhausting week for me to say the least, as Brian was often gone during feeding time.
Saturday, Brian headed off to the Red's game, so the boys and I went shopping with my friend Jennie. We got a few little decorations for Christmas, and LOVED the Mediteranean restaurant where we had lunch. Jennie's mom joined us too, and it was so great to see Debbie! After lunch, the boys and I went to visit Stony at Uncle Aarons. I hadn't seen him since he moved over a year ago. I think he's still having a hard time believing I have 2 kids now, but it was so nice to see him and visit, even if it was only for a short time. All in all, Saturday was a great day!
Sunday was our usual trip to church, then a quick shopping trip to get winter coats, hats, and gloves for the boys. Two kids gets pretty expensive when the seasons and their size changes!
Sunday night, Jackson and the kitchen chair had their first go round - and the chair won. The boys are pulling themselves up on everything, and the kitchen chairs fascinate the boys. However, they aren't heavy enough (evidently), and topple if the boys are on the wrong side. Check out the gallery for pictures (week 36 - he has a little cut over his right eye)! Thankfully, he had his helmet on, or it could have been much worse.
Last week the ups and downs continued.
Monday evening I came down with a stomach bug, and was home sick from work on Tuesday. Thankfully, no one else has gotten it! Since I wasn't feeling well, Brian was in charge of dinner Tuesday night. He made Velvetta shells and cheese, so we let the boys try it. They both loved them!
That night (October 5) was the first that we've seen Jackson pick up the puffs and put them in his mouth. I think he was able to do it before then, but he would holler, and I would give in and put them in his mouth. Now, we can't get the puffs to stay on either of the boys trays for very long!
Wednesday night we watched the Red's in their first playoff game. Not quite the result we were hoping for, but the stuffed shells I made that night were delicious! Thursday night I made enchiladas, and Lincoln tried a few bites. He seemed to like it, but was more interested in playing.
Friday night, all 4 of us went to Meijer grocery shopping after work. It was definitely cheaper when the boys and I went shopping without Brian, but we picked up quite a few things that were needed for some home maintenance. After the grocery trip, we hurried home to watch the 2nd playoff game for the Red's. We were hopeful at first when the Redlegs had a 4 run lead, but that quickly dwindled, and again, not the result of the game we were hoping for.
Saturday we had a great day spending time together as a family.
We loaded the boys in the truck, and finally headed up to the new outlet mall in Monroe. We were hoping to find clothes for ourselves and for the boys, but I was the only one lucky enough to find much. A few more shirts and sweaters and I should be set for winter! As for the boys...guess it's time to head back to Once Upon a Child and see what they have.
Satruday afternoon, the boys had some of Mawma's home canned sweet potatoes - and they LOVED them! Saturday evening brought more table food trial as I shared my roasted potatoes and carrots that I had cooked with a turkey breast with each of them. I was surprised that Lincoln ate the carrots, as he hates the baby food carrots. However, both the boys ate quite a few potatoes and carrots!
Sunday morning we actually made it to 9:00 church - which anymore, is quite the accomplishment for us! After church, we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast - and the boys first taste of pancakes! Although they weren't too sure of them at first, they warmed up to them once we made sure they were soaked good in maple syrup. :-)
The rest of the afternoon was time at home preparing for the week ahead. Brian did some more yard work (he worked outside some Saturday afternoon as well), and I tended to washing bottles, doing dishes, laundry, and making dinner (homemade Turkey and rice soup). After the long weekend, the boys were very tired, and went to bed just shortly after 8:00 when the Red's game started. (Again, another loss, so the playoff excitement in Cincy is over).
Hopefully this week will be a bit calmer, yet productive. We still have some projects around home to tend too (putting the safety latches on cabinets, hiding as many cords as we can from the boys, etc.), and we hope to continue introducing the boys to more table food so that we can start weening them off baby food. I also need to get back to picking out pictures to print and share with the grandparents, and we need to work on getting some more Christmas shopping done as well. Friday is another therapy appointment for Jackson, so we'll send another update later in the week.
Hope everyone is healthy, happy and well. Happy Autumn!
Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln and Jackson
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