Three Year Old Well Visit

This morning I took Em in to see Dr. G for her 3 year old checkup.  This was an easy visit with no shots!   Everything looks great with Em.  Here are her stats:

Height - 35 in. (10%)

Weight - 27 lbs, 8 oz (23%)

Em is still a very petite girl.  I was hoping she would have stayed in the 50% for height (she had finally reached the 50% at her 2 year visit), but no such luck.  It looks like she's just destined to be short. 

Oh and 1 perk of being an almost Halloween baby, Em's annual well visit has fallen on Halloween the last 2 years.  All of the nurses and doctors at her pediatrician's office dress up.  Seeing all the fun costumes make it a little bit more fun to go to the dr. 

Interview With Emily - 3 Years Old

I started interviewing Em last year (you can see that post here).  My plan is to ask her the same 20 questions each year on her birthday.  It's fun seeing how her answers change from year to year!

1. What is your favorite color? Red

2. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Chicken, Rice and Beans

3. Who is your best friend? Morgan, Tessa, Thomas (friends from school)

4. What is your favorite toy? Elmo / Horsey

5. What is your favorite TV show? Caillou, Super Why, Justin Time

6. What is your favorite drink? Water

7. What is your favorite movie? Beauty and the Beast

8. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes

9. What is your favorite book? Pinkalicious

10. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Daddy

11. What is your favorite thing to eat for dinner?pizza

12. What is your favorite snack? goldfish

13. What is your favorite holiday? Easter

14. What is your favorite song? Old MacDonald

15. What is your favorite outfit? any dress

16. What is your favorite animal? Winnie The Pooh

17. What do you want to be when you grow up? Cinderella

18. What is your favorite game? I Spy

19. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play With Friends

20. What is your favorite thing about school? Playing Outside

To Emily On Your Third Birthday

My Sweet Em,

Wow!  I honestly can't believe that I'm writing this on your third birthday!  Where have the last three years gone???  It seems like just yesterday that my water broke unexpectedly and we were scrambling to get to the hospital.  I was so excited and nervous about meeting you.  Your Daddy and I had no idea how much our lives were going to change for the better at 1:08 pm that day.   What a joy the last three years have been!  I'm so thankful for every minute that I've gotten to spend with you. 

Watching you transition into your role as a big sister over the last few months has made me so proud.  The love that you have for Evan makes my heart so happy!  You are such a little mother hen to him and are always watching out for him.  I hope you both will always be so close. 

We are so lucky to have you in our family.  You will always be my firstborn . .the one who made me a mother for the very first time.  And even though you are growing up, I will always think of you as my little girl.

I love your big personality.  There are times you can be very stubborn, but on most occasions you are the sweetest little girl.  You are constantly making your Daddy and I laugh with the things that you say.  You are so confident in everything you do and I love that about you!  Your imagination has been exploding lately and we never know what you will come up with next. 

Emily Joy, I love you more than you will ever know!  Remember that no matter what, I will always be your biggest fan. 

Even though I'm sad that the last three years have gone by so fast, I can't wait to see what the future holds for you.  I know there are lots of bright things heading your way!

So, to my happy, caring, friendly, outgoing, funny, helpful, and determined little three year old. . .HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!  I hope you have the most amazing day today and that you know just how loved and celebrated you are!

Love,
Mommy

And The Winner Is. . .

As you can see, it was very official.  :)  Congrats Steph!  Be sure to check your email this week for your $50 promo code.

Just Because. . .

***Also, don't forget about the Tiny Prints giveaway. Today is the last day to enter!


I haven't posted many pics of these 2 cuties this week. 

Weekend Recap

We had another busy weekend!  We've been jam packed with birthday parties for the last 2 weekends and this weekend was no exception.

Saturday morning, Em had dance class as usual.  A new little girl started this week, which means her class is now up to 4.  For a while her class kept getting smaller.  I was so afraid they would cancel this class time (this is the only weekend class), but hopefully it will just keep growing instead.  Em still loves going to dance and I can't wait for the recital in June!

Early afternoon, Mimi came over and rode with Em and I to Lauren's (my niece) 7th birthday party.  It was at a gymnastics place and Em was by far the smallest one there.  She had a blast though and kept up with all the bigger girls.

We got home around 2:45, which was just in time for the Tech game to start.  We've been at parties the last several weekends and because of it, we haven't been able to just sit and watch a full Tech game.  This was definitely a good one to watch!! I about had a heart attack from all the stress of watching the game, but after 3OT's we finally won!   Em and Evan napped during most of the game.  Shawn had planned to grill out, but since the game ran so long, we just made it a take out night.

That night, Shawn came up with a fun thing for us to do. . .make smores!  Em was super excited about it.  She loved roasting the marshmallows, but she loved eating them even more.

Our Sunday was just as busy as our Saturday.  In the morning, my friends, Janet and Courtney, came over with their babies, Dutch and Grace.  Dutch is about 4 months older than Evan and it was fun to see what Evan will be doing in just a few months (I forgot so quickly what they do at each month).

While me and Evan were having a playdate, Shawn took Em on a Daddy/Daughter date to see Nemo 3D at the movies.  We weren't quite sure how she would do having to wear glasses the whole time, but Shawn said she did great.

After Em's nap, we headed over to my parents house for dinner.  We have lots of family birthday's in October, so we were celebrating them all at once.  Evan was pretty fussy so we didn't stay too long. 

When Shawn went to wake up Em from her nap, he couldn't even see her. Think she pulled enough stuff into the bed with her?

So it was yet another jam packed weekend.  We have another busy weekend next weekend.  It's a certain someone's 3rd birthday!  Can't wait!

Christmas (Already?)

Ok, so I know Christmas is still more than 2 months away, but that doesn't mean that we can't start thinking about it now.  One of my favorite things about Christmas is sending and receiving Christmas cards.  I love displaying them around house and seeing how much all our friends families change each year.  Every year we take a new family picture and use it on our card.  I'm especially excited for this years picture, since we're now a new family of 4!  I love looking for cards and finding the perfect one to display our picture.   This year I'm planning on using Tiny Prints for our holiday cards.  I've used them before for Christmas cards, birth announcements, birthday invitations, etc, and they always have great designs to choose from and the quality of the cards are awesome!  I'm especially excited about their new 2012 Holiday Collection.  I'm loving all the bright colors!  Here are a few of my favorites. 

I'm going to have a hard time deciding which one to choose this year! 

For those of you that are thinking about Christmas already too, be sure to check out all of the Christmas Photo Cards from Tiny Prints.  I'm sure you will find one that you love too.

Also, make sure to check out their special offers page for some great deals.

And just since I want all of you to share in the fun too,  Tiny Prints will give one of you $50 off your total order (doesn't include shipping and can't be combined with any other promos).  To enter, just leave a comment telling me you want to win.

Giveaway ends October 25th!  I'll announce the winner on the 26th. 

**Disclosure: I received a discount on my holiday photo cards from Tiny Prints in exchange for this post. Woot woot!

4 Month Well-Visit

This morning Shawn and I took Evan in to see Dr. G for his 4 month well visit.  Dr. G said Evan looked great!  He was as happy as could be this morning.  Dr. G said we do need to get him off his head a bit more (it's a bit flat on one side) and he does have ezcema.  He was happy with his weight gain and I don't need to worry about his lack of eating.  Our plan is to try and take him off his zantac and if he does well off that, we're going to try and switch him to the Gentlease formula.   We have the go ahead to start cereal, but with his previous tummy issues Dr. G said we probably shouldn't rush it.  So we probably won't start that for at least another month, if not a little longer.  I'm in no rush to start solids this time around.   Here are Evan's stats:

Weight : 13 lbs, 10 oz (23%)

Height: 25.5 in (70%)

Head: 16.5 in (40%)

So he's a tall, skinny guy!  Maybe we can get him to bulk up a bit by his 6 month appt.  :)  He had to get a couple shots today, along with the oral rotovirus vaccine.  He did awesome!  He hardly made a peep when he was getting the shots.  He's a tough little guy!

And one funny story . . .Evan peed on Dr. G during our visit.  Dr. G said in his 12 years, he's never gotten peed on.  The funny thing is, Evan never even does that at home.

The Big Orange Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday we made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch.  This was our third year to go to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm in Celina.  We met our friends, Courtney, Grant and Grace out there this year.  Em had a blast as she always does.  We ate lunch, ran through the hay maze (a new addition this year), fed the animals, went on a hayride, picked out pumpkins and of course, took lots of pictures. 

This was Evan's first time to face out in the baby bjorn.  He loved it and stayed happier much longer this way!

This picture sums up Em's favorite part of the pumpkin patch - the hay maze.  She could have stayed in this all day.

These next 3 pics are the best of the best.  You should see how many "outtakes" we have of these pics.  It took a lot to get these half way decent ones.  :)

I'm already looking forward to next year, when we will have 2 little ones running around!

Four Months

Dear Evan (my little man),

I know I say this every month, but gosh, how is that you are already four months old?!  I feel like the time is flying by even faster now that I'm back at work.

Unfortunately, this month you've had a few firsts that I had hoped would be further away.  You got sick for the first time, with a stomach bug.  I hated seeing you sick!  It reminded me just how difficult illnesses are during the baby stage.  I forgot how frustrating it is that you can't tell me what's wrong.   As much as I hate to say it, I know this is just the first of many illnesses.  :(  You also started getting the dreaded ezcema.  This is something that I just hate!  We battle with your sister's dry skin all the time and now we have to do the same with yours.  We give you a bath every other day to help minimize the dry skin.  But there are some days, you just end up slathered in aquaphor.  Sorry buddy, I hate this as much as you do!

On a happier note, you laughed for the first time.  I'm proud to say I was the recipient of your first laugh!  I loved hearing it.  :)  While you don't give out your laughs easily, you LOVE to smile!  You give your smiles out very easily now.  You also slept through the night for the first time!  YAY!!!!  Of course, it was on daddy's watch, but I'll take it.  You slept from 8:30-5:30.  Good job, little man!

I think I may be tied with your sister now, for your favorite person. You love to watch her and smile at her.  And thankfully, she's just as fond of you, as you are of her.  She always needs to know where you are and she loves to give you hugs and kisses.  When we bring her to her class at school she always walks us out and makes sure to give us both hugs and kisses.  If you cry in the car, she starts talking to you to make you feel better.  And if you're in your swing, she loves to come over and swing you just a little bit more.  And if you're cold, don't worry, Em always covers you up with a blanket.  :)  I know she can't wait until you can play with her. I will brag though and say I still get bigger (and more) smiles than Daddy.  I can brag because he used to get bigger ones from your sister. 

For the most part, you are such a happy little guy.  You love to talk and smile!  Except for when your tummy hurts (which isn't too often) and when you decide to fuss in the car, you're a pretty easy baby.  Please stay this way!  :)

Your favorite toy is still your hands (with your feet a close second).  You gnaw on them all day.  Usually your Daddy and I have to wrestle them out of your mouth in order to feed you.  And speaking of eating, that's a whole other story.  Little man, you just don't have a big appetite, at all.  :(  It's a constant struggle between your teachers at school and us to get you to eat.  Usually your best feeding is the middle of the night one.  I can usually get you to take 5 oz. then.  The first feeding of the day, is always the worst.  Usually you wake up around 5:30 or 6:00 and I'm lucky to get 1-2 oz. in you.  Then at school, you usually average 3-4 oz. each feeding.  We do still have you on the zantac and nutramigen. 

You're becoming interested in toys now.  I can get you to hold a rattle in your hand and you love to shake it around and put it in your mouth.  You also are grabbing the toys on your playmat now.  I love this stage.  You love having your head rubbed.  Usually this helps calm you down if you are fussy or tired.

This month, you've started to like your paci more.  You still only want it when you're fussy and falling asleep, but at least you don't scream more when we give it to you.  You're still not a fan of the car.  We usually can expect lots of crying whenever we go anywhere.  I really hope this doesn't last much longer.

We've stopped swaddling you this month.  You started breaking out of your swaddle and it started to make your Mama nervous because you would have the blanket up by your face.  Instead, you are now in a sleepsack (the ones with the open arms).  I think this caused you to regress a bit at night.  You have slept through the night once, but haven't done it again. Starting in the last few weeks, you are all over your crib at night.  You usually do a complete 180 in the middle of the night and wake up with your head towards the bottom of your crib.  I've also noticed on the monitor in the middle of the night, that you will sometimes sleep on your side, but most times it's still your back that you prefer.   

We're starting to see some big differences now between you and your sister.  While your sister always liked to be on the go and busy, she was never to your extreme.  You are a constant wiggle worm.  Maybe you are just preparing us for what is to come with having a baby boy.  We put you in the bumbo and we can't take our eyes off you.  You will arch your back and twist and turn until you are about to fall out.   In your swing, we have to make sure you are buckled in (something we didn't have to worry about with Em until she was much older).  And in your little whale tub, you refuse to just sit on the little seat.  You arch your back until you slide right off the seat. 

Your teachers at school say you are definitely a people person. You like attention and get very upset when your teachers walk away from you.

I love you so much little man!  I love that you have the longest eyelashes I have ever seen (and I thought your sister's were long) and I can't get enough of that dimple in your right cheek.  There are times when I can't stop staring at you and thinking how lucky I am that you're mine!

4 Month Stats

Weight: 13 lbs, 10 oz (23%)
Length: 25.5 in (70%)
Eating: 4-5 oz. of Nutramigen every 3 hours during the day. And 5 oz. of Nutramigen at your night time feeding.
Bedtime: Around 8:30 pm
Awake: Around 5:30 am
Naps: no real schedule, just several naps in his swing each day - the longest usually being in the morning.
Diapers: Size 2 Pampers Swaddlers.  We moved you up this month when we ran out of size 1's. Although you probably could have stayed in them longer.
Clothes: Size 3-6 months
Favorites: laying on your changing table, baths, laying on your play mat, watching your sister
Development: grabs feet (makes for fun diaper changes), laughs, can hold on to rattles, grabs toys on playmat, slept through the night

Baby's Got His Blue Jeans On

I dressed Evan in blue jeans for the first time today.  I thought he looked so cute and like such a little man, that I needed to take a pic.  After I took it, I realized I took a similar pic of Em the first time she wore jeans.  She was almost the exact same age that Evan is now.

You can definitely tell they are siblings, but Shawn and I think Evan is starting to resemble me more and Em is definitely all Shawn.

Slept Through The Night!!!!

Evan slept through the night for the first time last night!!  Of course, it was while Shawn was on night duty.  How does it always work that way?? I do night duty probably 85% of the time and he decides to do it on Shawn's night, really?  Oh well, I'll take it.  He slept from 8:30 - 5:30!  Shawn and I get up at 5:30 on the weekdays, so 5:30 is good!  Hopefully I can get him to extend it to 6:30 though.  That's when I have to get him up to get ready for school and 6:30 would be much nicer on the weekends.  I'm on duty the next 4 nights, so I really, really hope he cooperates for me (especially since I'm a bit under the weather)!

Weekend Wrap-up

Saturday

It finally feels like fall here.  A big cold front blew in this weekend and the high on Saturday was in the 50's!  In the morning I took Em to dance class.  We had a mommy/daughter lunch date afterwards at Corner Bakery. 

When we got home, Evan was still in his pj's.  Him and Daddy were enjoying their Daddy/son time watching TV. 

I did the kids laundry on Saturday afternoon and this is what I found in the washing machine. . .wood chips.  Apparently Emily is bringing home her school playground one pocket at a time.

After Em's nap, we headed to Haslet to attend a friend's birthday party.  When we got back home, it was time for baths and jammies.  I changed out Em's closet this weekend and hung up her fall/winter clothes.  Since she wears a uniform 4 days a week, I haven't bought her anything new .  But thanks to my nieces, she still has a fully stocked closet.  These are some jammies we found in the bags from my nieces.  Em was excited to wear Minnie jammies.

Sunday

It was another cold and cloudy day on Sunday.  In the morning, my friend Michele and her daugher Haleigh came over to play with Em.  We had no big plans in the afternoon.  We surprised Em with the Cinderella DVD and just hung out around the house.  I realized after I had the kids dressed, that I dressed them in Tech colors, 1 day too late.  Maybe if I had done it on the right day, we would have won.  :(

My friend, Steph, was kind enough to lend us some of her son Lane's clothes for Evan.  Here he is wearing one of his outfits.

 

Em discovered she was the perfect size to fit in the window by our front door.  I'm surprised she didn't realize this sooner.

Before dinner, I looked over to catch Em pushing Evan in his swing.  She does this often.  She was just pushing him and talking to him.  He was just staring at her.