Christmas and Cole's 2 year Checkup

So Christmas is over and we are getting back into our routine. Our trip back to Ohio did not go at all as planned, but it was still good seeing everyone. Chris, Eve, Cole, and myself all came down with the stomach flu, and it was wicked! While Chris and myself are all better now, the kids are still recovering and taking it easy. On another note, Mister Cole had his 2 year checkup this morning. He is doing great for the most part. Here are his current stats:

Height: 36 inches (90th percentile)
Weight: 31 lbs. (90th percentile)

I think he is actually closer to 33 lbs, but he lost some weight with the flu this past week. Knowing how much he loves his food, he will put it back on in no time! Everything checked out okay, and thankfully he wasn't due for any vaccinations this appointment. The only thing he is a bit delayed in is his speech. We are going to wait another month or so to see if he makes any progress...if not, we will have him evaluated to see if he qualifies for speech therapy. Honestly, I think he is fine and if anything, a bit lazy when it comes to talking. But if speech therapy will help to push him along, I'm all for it!

Well that is all for now. Hope everyone had a great Christmas! I am most definitely looking forward to a new year full of new possibilites!

Christmas

Oh my goodness, it is hard for me to fathom that it is already December 1rst and Christmas is just 3 1/2 weeks away. This is always the time of the year that I have to ask myself "where did this year go!?". I'm going to try to slow down and really appreciate the month of December this year. All of my Christmas shopping is done, presents are all wrapped, and the kids are excited for what is to come. We went to the "Way of Lights" last week, which is a ginormous drive-through display of Christmas lights and it tells the story of Jesus. It took us a good 30-40 minutes to drive through it, and both Eve and Cole were entranced the entire time. I love that they are both (especially Eve this year) getting to the age where Christmas is truly a magical time for them. Before we had kids, I was a bit of a Scrooge, but that has all changed now! I find myself getting as excited as Eve and Cole everytime we see a house lit up with lights or when a holiday movie comes on TV!! So anyways, here is hoping all of you have a great month of December and that you take the time to slow down and appreciate the holiday season!

Thankful

So as Thanksgiving approaches this week, I thought I'd take a minute to write about what I am thankful for this year. 2010 has been quite a year, filled with many ups and downs.

I am thankful for my faith which has helped me to appreciate the good in my life, and to get through the difficult times.

I am thankful for my loving husband Chris who is truly my other half, my voice of reason, my shoulder to cry on, and my soulmate.

I am thankful for my two beautiful children, Eve and Cole, who make me smile each and every day and help me to appreciate the little things in life.

I am thankful for my parents, brother and sisters, inlaws, nephews, and all of my extended family...all of whom I would do anything for and feel they would do the same in return.

I am thankful that despite the pain of losing two family members this year, I believe I have two new guardian angels watching over me and my family. And I know that when my time comes to go home to heaven, they'll be there waiting.

I am thankful that we were able to afford a new heating and cooling system and water heater this year, and that our gas/electric and water bills has been nearly cut in half thanks to this!

I am thankful that I have so much to be thankful for!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Babies

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Fall Questions

1. Do you like Starbucks? And are you a fan of their seasonal coffee?

I love Starbucks, and am so excited they got all their pumpkin drinks back! I just got my first pumpkin spice latte of the season last week. Unfortunately I can't justify the prices, so this is a rare treat.

2. How do you decorate and prepare for Fall?

Uh I don't! I love to see all the wreaths and pumpkins and stuff, but I have yet to do anything to our own house.

3. What is your favorite Fall clothing item or accessory?

Clothing shopping has been so much more fun this year since I'm several sizes smaller than I was last year. I'm most excited to pull out the 3 new pairs of boots I've bought along with all my new jeans and sweaters.

4. What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?

I only remember ever being one of two things...either a Devil (Why was Sissy always the Angel!?? LOL) or a Punk Rocker. I think I liked the Punk Rocker more since it entailed getting to put spray-on hair color in and lots of makeup!

5. Do you like Halloween/horror movies? Do you have a favorite?

No, no, no! The last time I watched one was while I was pregnant with Eve...one of the Saw movies...and it literally made me sick to my stomach. Since then, I really don't see the point in watching something that brings me absolutely no entertainment.

6. What is your favorite Fall activity?

Playing outside with the kids in the cooler weather and baking all kinds of sweets.

7. What is your favorite Fall recipe?

I just made some pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting that were awesome! I also love chilis and soups when it gets colder outside.

8. What movie coming out soon are you looking forward to seeing?

I want to see that new one with Josh Duhamel and Katherine Heigl where they raise the baby together...can't think of the name of it but I saw the preview with Mom the last time we went to the movies and it looked really cute.

9. What will you miss most about Summer?

Nothing really. I'm not a summer person and hate the heat!

10. When do you start your holiday shopping?

Well I've already got a huge list of things for the kids and will probably start buying little by little starting in October so that I'm not overwhelmed come December.

11. Favorite exercise/activity?

I loved and miss my treadmill very much...planning on getting a new one sometime next year. Also love my bike, but haven't really exercised all that much the past month or two.

12. Best book you've read lately?

"Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God"...its a Mom's devotional and really good.

13. Do you make your bed everyday?

Oh, yes! This is one of my OCD's...I make it the second I get out of it.

14. If you could choose a personal chef or a person shopper, which would you choose?

Easily a personal chef...I loooove food, but I hate cooking!

15. Which TV show are you most excited for this Fall?

On my Tivo, I've got Glee, Grey's Anatomy, Dancing with the Stars, The Biggest Loser, Smallville, Hellcats, America's Next Top Model, and Top Chef: Just Desserts....yes I am a TV junkie!

Eve and Cole Update

Since it seems like its been awhile, thought I'd do an update on my babies. They are both doing great!

Eve is fully and completely potty-trained! We had 3 days of accidents in the beginning and not a single one since. Amazingly enough, she also night-trained herself from the start. I thought for sure it would take maybe another year before she quit wetting the bed, but I guess I got lucky! She is growing up so fast and it is just killing me...LOL. I get insanely emotional now when I see baby pictures of Eve, knowing how quickly the time goes and how it still seems like only yesterday I was rocking her to sleep and giving her a bottle. *Sigh* She is still surprising us everyday with how smart and funny she is. Current favorites include Tinkerbell, My Little Pony, pepperoni pizza, yogurt smoothies, playing dress-up, anything pink and sparkly, getting the mail, and talking up a storm.

Mister Cole is doing wonderfully as well! When I look at pictures of him even from just a few months ago, it is just crazy how much he is changing and becoming more like a little boy instead of my little "baby" boy! Cole has always been a great eater, but over the last few weeks he has been getting more and more picky like a typical toddler. I think alot of it has to do with the fact that he is getting in a bunch of teeth all at once...ouch! He is still not into talking all that much, unless you count his own babbling language as talking. But he is so smart and can understand everything we say...he just doesn't care to repeat it just yet! Current favorites include Super Why, Yo Gabba Gabba, brown sugar poptarts, cheerios with milk, cars and trucks, knocking things over, and bathtime.

Me According to Eve (Part 2)

What is something Mommy always says to you? "I love you"

What makes Mommy happy? Being good

What makes Mommy sad? I don't know what makes you sad

How does Mommy make you laugh? Makes silly faces

What was Mommy like as a child? A big silly goose

How old is Mommy? 60

How tall is Mommy? This big! (stretches arms out as far as she can)

What is Mommy's favorite thing to do? Read magazines

What does Mommy do when you're not around? Cleans the dishes!

If Mommy becomes famous, what would it be for? A big parrot

What is Mommy really good at? Water things

What is Mommy not so good at? Being fast

What does Mommy do for her job? Clean up the pool

What is Mommy's favorite food? Coffee

What makes you proud of Mommy? Finishing my potty training

If Mommy was a cartoon character, who would she be? Elmo!

What do you and Mommy do together? Play with the Ipad

How are you and Mommy the same? We're not the same cause I'm little and you're big!

How are you and Mommy different? I don't know

How does Mommy show she loves you? Hugs and kisses

Where is Mommy's favorite place to go? The mall

My Potty Trained Girl!

Well this has been a very long time coming, but little miss Eve is finally done with diapers! We started this past Monday and are now on day 4 of only wearing big girl underwear. Monday she had 3 accidents, Tuesday she had 2 accidents, Wednesday she had 1 accident. Today is Thursday and I have my fingers crossed that she continues her pattern and is accident-free today. Either way, there is no turning back now. I am so proud of her and she looks so stinkin cute in her Dora the Explorer undies! Thank goodness I have a nice long break before I have to do this all over again with Cole :)

Quite the Transformation

After over a year of living with the ugliest maroon carpet one has ever seen, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief that it is gone! Last night, Chris spent over 7 hours ripping up our old carpet, prepping the sub-floor, and laying down our beautiful new plank flooring. I am just over the moon about it! Now onto our ugly living room furniture...coming soon!


Before:



After:

Attention please....

I am currently wearing a size 4 pair of jeans :)

****Happy Dance****

That is all.

R.I.P. Bailey :(

This and That

What a crazy week its been! I'll start with the kids. As previously mentioned, Eve had her very first dental appointment last week. It went great! Her teeth checked out perfect, she loved having them cleaned, and it was all she could talk about that day. The same day she went to the dentist, Cole had his 18 month check-up with his pediatrician. Here are his current stats:

Height: 34 inches
Weight: 30 lbs 6 oz

He is a big boy! But he has always been proportionate, with both his height and weight measuring around the 90th percentile. He also had to get 2 vaccinations, but after a few seconds of crying, he was fine. Which was a good thing, because the very next day we were on our way to Ohio! We finally got smart and purchased two DVD screens that attatch to the back of our headrests so the kids could watch movies the whole way there. Oh what a difference that made! Normally the entire last half of the drive is filled with whining and crying, but not this time! They were entranced by Yo Gabba Gabba, My Little Ponies, and Max and Ruby...LOL. Anyways, we had a wonderful visit with everyone. The only downside to the trip was that one of our original reasons for even going was so that I could renew my Ohio drivers license (to get out of taking the written test here in Illinois!) and lets just say that it didn't go as planned. I completely and embarrassingly failed the simple little vision test they make you take. So humiliating! Especially when I took the walk of shame past all the other people there. So I guess I need to go get my eyes checked out and probably will be needing glasses...fun stuff!

In other news, yesterday was my birthday!! I am now only one year away from the big 3-0...scary! But the blow was softened with Chris surprised me with this:

I had lost my last Ipod a few weeks ago, and was really wanting to upgrade to the newest one. I am in love with my new hot pink Ipod nano. But that wasn't all....he also got me this:

After our treadmill went kaput a few weeks ago (its been a rough couple months with things breaking!), I had been eyeing exercise bikes as an alternative since they take up less space and would switch things up a bit. Actually I had pointed out this very one to Chris and am so happy he got it for me. I did my first workout on it today and it actually kicked my butt more than the treadmill used to! Love it and love my wonderful husband!!

(Posted this on 7/7/10...date is showing as 6/28 because thats when I originally started this entry!)

Random Things

First off, I'd like to take a second to brag about myself...yesterday after 4 1/2 months following Weight Watchers, I finally reached my initial goal weight! I've lost 31 lbs and went from a size 10 to a size 6. My dream is to lose 9 more pounds, but even if I stay where I'm at, I'm still pretty dang happy!

Moving on, I thought I'd do a kid update! I'll start with my spunky little Eve who I am beginning to think has an abnormally exceptional memory. Like it is scaring me...LOL. We've always noticed it, but lately it is just insane the things she remembers. For example, I will read her a book one time and days later, she will recite it nearly word for word. Same thing with movies...she'll watch a movie once and can quote practically the whole thing. She'll also bring up the most exact details of things we did literally a year ago when she was just barely 2 years old. So weird! I guess I shouldn't be too surprised because Chris has an awesome memory too, whereas I can barely tell you what happened yesterday. Anyways, Eve is doing great! She has her first dentist appointment for a cleaning and checkup in a few weeks...and she is actually looking forward to it! She has also been spending plenty of time enjoying our swimming pool now that the weather is nice and hot.

My little man Cole is doing awesome too! He is currently getting 6 flippin teeth in all at once...four are his 1-year molars and then his two lower canines. Needless to say, this has made him a bit of a grouch lately! He is getting so big and has learned to climb all over the furniture. This pretty much stresses me out all day long since he has already had quite a few tumbles onto the floor. He is just so full of energy that it amazes me. He and Eve have been getting along good for the most part and are able to play together nicely. Cole has his 18 month checkup the same day as Eve's dental appointment in a few weeks so I'll update with his stats after that.

Me According to Eve

Stole this idea from another blog...I think the idea is to re-ask your kids these questions from time to time to see how their answers change. The following are Eve's responses from today...some of which crack me up, some a bit off the wall, and others a bit insulting (I'm HOW old, baby girl!?). LOL! See for yourself!

What is something Mommy always says to you? "No!"

What makes Mommy happy? A ball

What makes Mommy sad? Sad faces

How does Mommy make you laugh? Funny jokes

What was Mommy like as a child? Planets

How old is Mommy? 30

How tall is Mommy? Big!

What is Mommy's favorite thing to do? I don't know

What does Mommy do when you are not around? Fishes

If Mommy becomes famous, what would it be for? Doggies

What is Mommy really good at? Art

What is Mommy not so good at? Shaking

What does Mommy do for her job? Plays good tricks on me

What is Mommy's favorite food? I don't know

What makes you proud of Mommy? Good things

If Mommy was a cartoon character, who would she be? A screaming monkey

What do you and Mommy do together? Find things

How are you and Mommy the same? Food

How are you and Mommy different? Big

How does Mommy show she loves you? Twirling

Where is Mommy's favorite place to go? Good stores

Eve Slideshow Explained

Wanted to get Eve's one year montage up here for my own personal reference later since I already had Cole's up after his first birthday. Talk about bringing me back to that time...it all goes by too fast!

Eve Slideshow

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Love

Mousie

Mousie is the name Eve bestowed upon this yucky, little field mouse that had invaded our home. After living here for a year with no signs of anything, we suddenly started spotting a mouse darting through our kitchen about two weeks ago. I hate mice! They are dirty and creepy and it just made me feel gross to see one in our safe haven of a house. However, I also hate to see anything suffer so I figured we'd try to catch him ourselves. And yesterday, we finally did! Chris and I cornered him in our foyer and finally got the little sucker. Unfortunately for Eve though, he had to go. So we drove a couple miles away to a nice wooded area and let Mousie go. And then drove straight to Home Depot for a "humane" mouse trap :)

Flashback

May 2007:

May 2008:

May 2009:

April 2010:

Eve's Room

One more room done! This past weekend, we decided to tackle Miss Eve's room. If you recall, when we first moved in, we painted it hot pink. It was so bright that I never wanted to go in there. So we thought we'd make it a bit more soothing, but also keep it fun for Eve. We ended up choosing a color called Cool Cucumber...a very soft and very light green. Its actually so light that I don't think you'll even be able to tell its green in the pictures I took. I was also drawn to this cute and colorful owl themed girls room at Target so thats what we went with. But alas, here are the before and afters. Be on the lookout for Cole's room coming up next!

Original:

First After:

Now:

Makeovers!

For some reason, this spring weather has brought back out some major motivation to get back on track with fixing up our house. I have a list about a mile long of stuff I want to accomplish by the end of summer! First up on my list was re-painting the kitchen and guest bathroom. Yes I realize I just painted them last year, but I needed something lighter and brighter. I'm also already thinking about when we sell the house in a few years. I've read all over the place that houses with neutral paint colors sell the most quickly. It is amazing what a huge difference a little can of paint can make. I'd still like to replace the light fixtures and flooring in both rooms, get a new shower curtain for the bathroom, and a new kitchen sink. But one thing at a time! So anyways, here are the before and afters! I'm including what the rooms originally looked like when we moved in, what they looked like after we fixed them up the first time, and what they look like now.


Kitchen

Original:

First After:

Now:

Guest Bathroom

Original:

First After:

Now:

The Munchkins

Or goobers, kiddos, bambinos, etc. Whatever my name of the week is for my two favorite little people in the world. Since most of my last updates have been about their latest doctor check-ups, I thought I'd do an update on everything else in their lives.

I'll start with my beautiful baby girl, Eve. Girlfriend is a star in the making! Now Eve has always had a stand-out personality, but lately she is just such a trip. Chris, myself, Eve, and Cole go outside most afternoons/evenings to the backyard to play basketball and run around. Eve, however, has something else in mind. She sprints straight for the base of our basketball hoop, which is maybe a foot tall and a 4 x 4 foot square. She jumps right onto it, declares it her "stage", and will spend most of the time we are outside singing and performing for us and two turtle lawn figurines (scary!) left by the previous homeowner. She also has a crazy knack for quoting movie lines at the most random times, a skill I'm sure she has picked up from her daddy! She is just a such a smart little girl. For as tough and feisty as she is, Eve is also such a sweetheart. She tells us multiple times a day how much she loves us, how we are her best friends, and how happy she is.

Now for my handsome little guy, Cole. For the first year of his life, he was so laid-back and reserved that I wondered how he'd feel with such a loud and outgoing older sister. No worries there anymore! Cole has totally come out of his shell these past few months and is quite the little comedian. He will do absolutely anything to get a laugh out of us (particularly Eve!). And once he gets us going, he will not stop! Eve and Cole are finally starting to become more of playmates instead of enemies...the fighting between them is becoming less and less. Now we are just waiting for him to start talking. Well, I should clarify...he does "talk", we just can't quite understand 95% of what he is saying...LOL. He is still extremely affectionate and loves giving hugs and kisses. He is my little mama's boy and I hope it stays that way!

Cole's 15 month Checkup and Potty Training!

Last week, Mister Cole had his 15 month checkup (1 month late as he is 16 months now). He did fantastic! Here are his current stats:

Height: 32 1/2 inches (90th percentile)
Weight: 28 1/2 lbs (90th percentile)

He had been suffering with a cold the week prior to his appointment and his pediatrician said he actually had bronchiolitis. I guess this is just a more severe version of a cold that has moved into his chest. The good news is he was at the tail-end of it and seems to have made a full recovery the past few days. Poor guy also had to get two shots but only cried for a minute and then was back to his jolly self. Cole's personality is really starting to shine lately...he is so funny! He laughs all the time and will do anything to get a giggle out of his sister. They both crack me up.

Speaking of Eve, we are on the cusp of potty training and it is going awesome. To be honest with you, she is doing all the training herself and we are just going with the flow. The past few days, she has been asking me to go to the bathroom like a big girl. She has also been wearing her regular underwear for hours at a time with no accidents. If all keeps going well, I know she'll be trained in no time, but we are not going to push her. It'll happen when it happens! Also, we had Eve's opthamologist appointment a couple weeks ago. She had been complaining of eye pain more and more frequently in the past few months, and I had been growing more and more concerened. Thankfully there was nothing seriously wrong...she was diagnosed with a slight astigmatism in her right eye (not bad enough to warrant glasses, thank goodness!) and the doctor also found that her tears evaporate much faster than normal. In other words, she has dry eyes! This is what has been causing her pain, but there is not much to do for it except eye drops, which a toddler is not too keen on. We are just supposed to encourage her to blink when she has the pain, and when she is old enough she can start using drops.

Eve's 3 Year Check-up

So I'm a little late on this since her appointment was actually a few weeks ago. She is doing great as usual. Here are baby girl's current stats:

Height: 39 in (75th percentile)
Weight:33 lbs (75th percentile)

Everything checked out great and she is healthy as can be. She also has her first eye exam with the opthamologist next week and her first dental appointment shortly after that. And Mister Cole has his 15 month appointment in a few weeks. Appointment overload!!!!

Happy Birthday Eve!

It was 3 years ago today at 3:19 pm that our beautiful little girl made her entrance into the world. I swear it seems like only yesterday. These past 3 years, Eve has given us so much joy and has given such meaning to our lives that it is hard to remember life before her. We love you and your brother more than anything in this world, baby girl. Happy Birthday!

Grandpa

I love you Grandpa, forever and always.