Liam is 3 months old!

My little dude is growing well!  Everyone says each subsequent child goes faster.  It is kinda strange that three months have already passed, but it doesn't feel any faster to me then Miriam.  It was strange when she was three months too.  The days are long but the years are short.  In about 9 more months I'll be wondering what happened I guess.

I thought I'd give a quick update how our little guy is doing.

Okay I admit it, until Liam was 2 months old he pretty much slept in his bouncer.  He sleeps in the pack and play now.  He gets up once a night at 3-4 am sometime.  I can handle that.  I'd probably handle it much better if I went to bed before 11pm.  If I remember right Miriam got up 3 times a night FOREVER (it felt like).  So I'm happy.

Takes weird naps.  Basically he has two short morning naps (1 hour each) and usually a long afternoon nap.  Although sometimes he takes two short afternoon naps.  Little man...I think I prefer two - two hour naps.  Lets work that direction eh?

Will coo a lot at us.  He loves to be talked to.

Rolls from side to side.

Has an awesome smile!

 

Bring it! 2012

2011 has been a good year.  I don't think I appreciated it nearly enough while it was happening.  Some wonderful things happened this year!  Even so I feel SO READY to wave at it in my rear view mirror and meet 2012!

What was up for us in 2011:

February:  We're expecting baby #2! We register Miriam for Pre-K3 after finding our perfect spot!

May:  Bill leaves for Africa (2 month trip!), we get a new air conditioner/furnace (not as exciting as it was EXPENSIVE), and find out baby #2 is a BOY :)

July:  Bill comes home from Africa.  He sees a job announcement for position in Cheney only to find out it's already closed.  I launch Peach State Moms Blog with Rachel!

August:  Miri starts Pre-K3

September:  Position in Cheney reopens and Bill sends in an application.  I am super pregnant and feel ready to have our baby and add him to our lives already!  I get induced on September 28th and Liam is born!  As you might remember I was scared of the whole thing - but he's perfect and I wouldn't trade him for anything.  I felt so happy once he joined our family!

October:  My Dad comes to visit Miriam and Liam and spoils us quite a bit.  Bill interviews for the Cheney job in Olympia on his Dads birthday and gets to go home to visit.

November:  Bills parents come to visit.  Another great visit.  Now I know what to do to get people to come visit us.  Have a baby.  Got it.

December:  Miriams Christmas program at school. How beautiful and fun, a bunch of 2-5 year old belting out Christmas carols.   I LOVE her school, the families and teachers are awesome and I know it is the right place for us! Other things I'm not telling you yet.   Tomorrow - I am going to Jenna's house for the New Year.  Liam hates the car but it will be fun to spend it with friends!

2012 - I usually do a run down of things I think might happen but you know what?  I don't know!  Raising two children, that's about all I've got so far.  I hope that 2012 is great for us AND for you!  Happy New Year!

Comparison post

Looking at the previous picture made me think it was high time for a sibling picture comparison post!

 

Miriam at almost 3 months                       Liam at 3 months  :)

Mr Liam

While I was putting this red sweater on Liam today I kept singing "Won't you be my neighbor?"

Miss Miriam is four!!

Yes!  And she's been four for a month and a half!  Hard to keep up with stuff now a days!

Writing a post about a four year old is a little different then writing a post about a four month old.  When they are four months old you are seeing how well they roll and sit with help and talking about...I dunno....if they've laughed or discovered their feet yet.

I've got this four year old, and I pick up a piece of 5T clothing and think "This is way too big....Isn't it?"  when in fact it is NOT too big, my child is in fact that tall.  Her feet are that big and her hair is that long.  Get used to it already mama!

Here are some things about Miriam these days:

Miriam loves her preschool.  She has learned lots of songs and comes home and sings them.  She is super independent these days though and doesn't want us to even sing WITH her.  I remember the days we would sing every kid song  known to man on a forty minute drive.  Mom and Dad would sing and everyone would do the hand motions.  These days we nearly get tantrums for singing unless SHE has specifically designated it as moms (or dads) song.  Yes.  My daughter knows what she wants.  It can be rather exasperating.  I'm still not sure how to deal with it.

She can count to thirty.  Mostly.  And knows our names and how old we are.  Next up...phone number and addresses??

Loves her brother.  She talks about him and how cute he is.  And that he is going to grow and not be so cute anymore.  She imitates mommy a lot.  "Hey, little sweetie, how ya doing?" Knows his needs "Baby needs to nurse!"  and is mildly attentive.  "He's trying to roll." (followed by trying to roll him over) Only a couple times has she actually picked him up herself.  Just a few weeks ago I look up from doing dishes and there she is with brother in her lap having successfully removed him from his bouncer.  Not too bad.

Is speaking more.  I feel like in the last month, or even few weeks we're finally getting sentences on a regular basis.  And she is telling us what she is thinking/wants/needs.  We've done a lot of repeating mom and dad in the last 6 months so this is refreshing.  For the most part.

Loves The Lion King, Thomas trains, decorating the Christmas tree, playing ball (some things don't change),and (Daddy was so kind to point out) tell us no. 

She is amazing! I'm having a hard time believing she was this tiny bundle of joy 4 years ago.  We were celebrating her first Christmas and trying to get her to pick up her head off the ground.  Now we're just trying to keep up with her!

Happy (really late) fourth birthday beautiful girl!

Happy 80th birthday Grandpa!

Today my grandpa turns 80 years old!  I'm having a hard time believing this!  I think partly because my grandpa is one of the most active people I've known.  Both of my grandparents are very busy, usually involved in something.

When I think about my Grandfather when I was young I remember bike rides, tennis, gardening, and how he ran Bloomsday every year.  I'll never forget the year that it occured to me I should ask to go play tennis because I hadn't been interested in so long.  I went to ask him to play and he told me he hadn't played tennis in a long time.  I'm a little sad about it.  I guess I'll just have to come to terms with the fact that I didn't want to play tennis as a teen (I wasn't good at many sports, so I avoided them) and I can't blame myself for "being me."  But today, I really wish I had taken to time to learn to play tennis from him. I wish I had gone on more bike rides, helped in the garden more and run Bloomsday with him!  Now he's into golf.  I really am not interested in golf...but if the previous story is any kind of lesson, I should probably try to learn to golf!  We used to play ping pong down int he basement.  Now he's got a pool table, and, AGAIN - next time I am visiting, I need to go play pool...no matter how BAD I am at it.

I remember him making pancake breakfasts, feeding me prunes, grapefruit, V8 and sherbet.  (Those memories go with my grandma too). Not those together mind you.

Both of my grandparents have taught me a lot about working hard and serving others, being involved in your community and your faith.  My relationship with my grandfather went through a rough patch around the time I was 19 (imagine that) but since we came out of it I am very thankful for the chances I've had to see his strong faith. 

The older I get the more I realize I don't know about my grandparents.  I only saw their wedding album a few years before their 50th wedding anniversary (2005) when my cousin was looking at it.  A few years ago, I asked him about being in the Army and only then did I learn that he expected to go to Korea, but was sent to Alaska instead!

Today, on his birthday I am thankful for the person I know as my grandfather.  I know I don't know everything about him, but I know enough to appreciate him as my grandpa!  Happy Birthday!

Happy 100 Grandpa!

I love things you can do as a family to celebrate.  Yesterday, family members across the country from Washington to North Dakota to Georgia celebrated what would have been my great-grandfathers 100th birthday at 12:00, 2:00, 3:00pm, respectively, with a bowl of ice cream, which my grandma says he loved. 

Although I have known all of my great-grandmothers, most of my great grandfathers passed away before or around the time I was born.  My Great Grandpa Graham Orland VanCamp passed away from cancer in  1982, just a month after I was born.  I feel close to Great Grandpa VanCamp, for reasons I can't explain.  I have always felt somewhat drawn to him.  I remember seeing a picture of him in his 40's.  I can see my father in him.  Every time I wish I knew him better.  My grandma says one of her favorite memories about him is that she never remembers him being angry.  

I am grateful to be able to celebrate his life on earth - which began 100 years ago!

(Picture coming if I can remember to scan it!) 

Diary of my night

Why have I been so tired the last few weeks?  I think I've figured it out.

Even when then kids go to bed by 7:30, I end up cleaning, emailing, blogging, showering, whatever and don't get to bed until 11:15

11:27 - Miriam comes in and says she needs to potty
11:35 - Miriam comes in again and wants to shut the cat in the laundry room (he was meowing)

2:00-Liam is ready for his feeding

4:30 - Miriam comes in several times trying to get into our bed.

6:00 Miriam comes in again.  We've pretty much decided 6-7am is currently tv time.  Cause I can't move this early.

Gratitude moment day 3

Yesterday - I was tired again.  Today - I am tired again.  I think it's safe to say that having children is tiring.

Yesterday, I was really glad for food.  We had some friends come by the day before and bring us some cans of their food storage that needed to be rotated.  Powdered applesauce, dried bananas, flour, beans etc.  And I'm excited to try out that stuff.  Some of the cans even had recipes on them!  Now I just need a robot to do my dishes!

Today, I was really thankful for friends.  Once a month or so I pack up my kids and head over to my friend Shanda's house for the day.  She actually only lives about minutes away, but this is what works out.  Miriam plays with her dogs and she feeds us lunch and sometimes dinner.  We talk about whatever and watch television and play with my kiddos.  I love it!  Today we even had both our husbands there for dinner.  What a fabulous day.  I always feel thankful for her generosity to us.

:)

Gratitude moment day 2

I am so tired.  But here it goes.  I am grateful for the ability to procreate.  Sure, why not?

My first pregnancy was pretty good.  My second pregnancy I did not enjoy nearly as much.  I was sicker, more emotional, more depressed, my hips hurt more etc.  Today I look at my sweet children and I feel very lucky.  I am thankful to have them in my home.

I am now going to bed so I can drag myself out of bed when my daughter starts bugging me at 6am.  I am going to play horses with her I think.

Gratitude

Several months ago, while my husband was on a deployment, two of my friends (somehow we are all in the south) drove up to Atlanta for a girls weekend.  It was a wonderful time.  I haven't done something like that for a long time.  I've been itching to get together with them again for another girls weekend - it was amazing!

While they were up here I stayed in their hotel room and the three of us stayed up WAY TO LATE and had the best conversations - some of which were the kind only late nights can bring on.  I learned something from Tierney that weekend that has stuck with me this year.  She was/is possibly one of the most positive and spiritual people I have ever met.   She taught me a little bit about making faith part of your everyday life, and therefore strengthening it (your faith) each day.  I learned this from her just from her example, and from some of the things she told us that night. 

I am telling you this because it will be no surprise then that as I was browsing Pinterest (yes, I am slightly sucked in at the moment) I ran across a pin on her page about a Gratitude journal.  I have tried to keep a gratitude journal in the past with little success.   I will get started, but I have never kept it going.  The last couple of days gratitude is glaring me in the face.  The December Ensign presidency message is about gratitude, we did a short gratitude exercise in Relief Society on Sunday (which was actually the youth activity that went with the message in the Ensign), and I'd been feeling the personal prompting a few times to think of things I was grateful for - either about my children or my husband or in general - in those moments I was exhausted and maybe frustrated.  But here it is again today. 

I read this article called O Remember, Remember.  I remember reading this article in the past, but I think the time has come to actually act on it.  I am not good at keeping a journal or blogging every day.  But I think I will try to do one or the other through the rest of this month.

Today I was extremely thankful we made the effort to have a family home evening.  It was just a Living Scriptures video about the Tree of Life but it was a good experience to view it on the screen.  Then we did one of the learning activities with our daughter.  As we talked to her about the video, and asked her some of the questions I was amazed at what she was able to learn.  Some things were sort of funny like the "magic fruit" and some things were amazing like when she told us they needed to go to the tree to get to Jesus which wasn't something we had told her. 

I am grateful for moments like that that put the rest of my day into perspective!

Weight Loss Wednesday update

Weight loss:  not going as initially expected.  You can see my weekly updates on Weight Loss Wednesday. 
The short of the long though is that I went down and then up and then up again.  Nothing outrageous and nothing unexpected.  Just a bummer.
Since then, we have gotten rid of our colds, I've made more of an attempt to exercise and I've started dealing with a little problem called bloating!  This week, I had actually lost 1.6 pounds - which was mostly a relief!
The truth is I am a little worried about some other issues right now (breastfeeding) and that makes me less inclined toward weight loss.  So I'm just going to try and keep healthy and keep exercising and keep trying!!  Catch up with me again soon on Wednesday!