Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Today

Today Blake has came down with a stomach bug a.k.a. virus a.k.a "The Flu!"  Poor guy is so tough though and doesn't feel sorry for himself at all.  I just love this about him :)  We were on our way to Beaner's this morning and I looked in my rear view mirror and he looked like he was going to puke.  I quickly pulled over on 97 st. but by the time I pulled over he had already gotten sick :(  I felt so bad for him, he was covered from head to toe.  He asked, "What are we going to do Mom?"  I told him we'd go home and go to Beaner's another day.  At which point Emerson started crying because she really likes Beaner's and of course doesn't understand why we can't go.  Blake cheerfully says, "It's okay Mom.  I'm okay now, lets clean me up and go to Beaner's.  Em wants a sucker!!"  What a guy, so sweet, putting his sister first even though he's covered from head to toe in puke!!!  His glass half full outlook makes my heart swell with pride :) 

Now poor Emerson was really upset, but after a lengthy discussion and explanation of why we can't go to Beaner's today she is okay.  Oh and a treat from Mac's, because I picked up Gatorade for Blake!!  She even put aside some cheezies for Blake, for when he's feeling better!  And she brought him his blankie and teddy and had the cutest sympathetic look on her face :)  Too sweet!  Love seeing expressions of love between her and Blake :)

And then there's Ms. Reese!!  She's getting braver and braver by the day!  Once she figures out crawling she is going to be t-r-o-u-b-l-e ... she's started diving for whatever she wants!!  She'll be sitting up playing on the floor and will dive for a toy in front of her!!  Or if we're holding her and she sees something she wants, she doesn't hesitate to just throw her body forwards towards it!!!  It's hard to handle sometimes!!

I really hope Emerson, Reese and Cal don't catch this bug that Blake and I have had.  But if they have to catch it, I pray it's quickly and only lasts 24 hours, as mine did.  We're leaving this week for vacation at the Smith family cabin and we have A LOT to do to prepare before we can leave!!  Think about how packed our mini van is going to be?!  lol!  And we have to do a lot around the house to be ready for the painters that are coming in to paint the house while we're gone.  Oy!

ttyl

Tracy

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Change

"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are." Bertolt Brecht

And so it is!  Life with 3 young children is full of change ... Every day Blake, Emerson and Reese are growing, learning and changing.  It is amazing how much one little person can change in just a few months.  And then looking back, it is hard to believe Blake and Emerson were Reese's age such a short time ago.  But not only have the kids changed over their short lives, Mom and Dad have changed too :)

Cal and I are definately parents who embrace routine and believe that children thrive within a routine!  Establishing a routine and being very strict with that routine was very easy when Blake was our only child.  When Emerson came along we worked hard to establish a new routine and followed it quite strictly, although not quite as strict as when we were a family of 3!  Now as a family of 5, we've established another new routine!  But this time around it is no where near as easy to follow!!  Birthday parties, special events, holidays, preschool, lessons, etc. put a kink into that routine!!  It has been hard on the type A personality side of ourselves, but we've adjusted and the kids have too.  Reese definately misses more naps then Blake or Em had to, but such is the life of the youngest of 3 ;)  I believe it's all about balance.  That being said, finding that balance is another challenge and pretty much next to impossible!!  We don't feel very balanced these days, more like we're just keeping up with the pack!!  And maybe that's how it should be?!  After all what could one expect with a 4, 2 and 6 month old?!?  But at the end of the day we're so proud of our family and very happy.  As John and Kate (from the old John and Kate Plus 8 days) once said, "It's a crazy life ... but it's our life!"  I love that line and think of it often!

We embarked on our first camping adventure of the year this weekend!!  On Thursday we left Edmonton for Ol' MacDonalds campground.  My parents met us there.  The kids love this campground and so we just had to go back this year!!  We were a bit uneasy about our sleeping arrangements in our small trailer, but things went not too badly.  As expected the first night was the hardest night and it just got better from there!  Thursday afternoon and Friday, the rain held off and we were able to spend lots of time outside, visiting the animals, playing at the playground, playing on the beach, etc.  It rained pretty hard all day Saturday unfortunately, but stopped right around supper time so Blake was able to race up to the store for a train ride!!!  Sunday morning we visited the animals again, went on the swing ride and played outside, then enjoyed a Father's Day brunch at the store!  It was very good and although kids were free, I'm sure after they saw how much Blake ate they were wishing they'd charged him the adult rate!!!  lol!  We decided to head home Sunday afternoon, as the weather wasn't looking up.  We're glad we went, but don't think we'll venture out again in that trailer.  Time to put it up for sale!  It's just too small for our family of five!  Although if the kids were a bit older, say 7, 5 and 3 we could probably make it work! 

Today is Father's Day and I want to send a big Happy Father's Day shout out to the most important men in my life, my Dad and Cal, two of the best Dad's in the world!!!  My Dad has always been there for me, teaching me the ways of the world, answering my thousand's of questions, catching me when I fall and always offering the best adivce and is now doing the same for my kids and my husband too.  We are so lucky to have him in our lives and would be totally lost without him.  Thank you so much Dad for all you do for my family and I and for being a great Grandpa :)  We all love you so much!

I've loved Cal for close to 15 years, but after we had Blake my love for him grew immensely.  Cal is the most wonderful Dad and puts being a father at the top of his priority list.  He works very hard to provide for our family, both at work and at home.  Our kids absolutely adore him and I joke that he must feel like a celebrity when he comes home from work, as the kids scream and run to the door chanting, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy's home!!!" while jumping into his arms and giving him huge hugs!  Words can not express how wonderful a Dad Cal is or how grateful I am that he is my partner in this crazy adventure called parenthood!  I would be lost without you Cal, thank you for being you and for all you do.

I also hope all the other wonderful Dad's in our lives, including my father-in-law, Grandpa, Cal's Grandpa and all our Uncle's all had a very Happy Father's Day :) 

xoxo Tracy

Friday, June 3, 2011

Reese's 6 month Immunizations

Reese had her 6 month immunizations this afternoon.  They went really well ... very few tears :)  There was only one needle, so that helped!!  12 month immunizations could be a different story ... 3 needles!!  The nurse commented on how aware Reese is and how she doesn't miss a thing!  Her eyes were glued to the nurse's every move.  I said that it was because she is constantly watching her big brother and sister, waiting for their next hug, squeeze, kiss or waiting for them to pass/throw her a toy!!!  The nurse also loved her big smiles :)  And she is so very smiley, all you have to do is talk to her and you get her gorgeous grin :)
  

Reese's 1st taste of rice cereal!

Reese has started eating solids now and is doing very well with food!  She's tried rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, mixed cereal, chicken (not crazy about!), applesauce and prunes.  I want to try more chicken, beef and maybe salmon with her very soon!!  I like to try the blander, not so sweet foods with them first before the sweet stuff, but added applesauce and prunes to the mix early because I'm afraid she will get constipated with all the extra iron she's getting from the cereal.  We do not need a repeat of Emerson's ordeal's when she started solids!!!  I might add pears into her diet too, for a little more fibre!!  Right now Reese is only eating at supper time, but we may add some cereal in to her mornings!  I find myself wanting to give her a lot of different foods right away and not being so concerned about the texture, etc of the foods!  I was very careful with introducing solids to Blake, not as careful with Emerson and now I just want to give Reese everything ... I guess I've relaxed with time!!!  I still plan on making most of Reese's baby food though and hope to whip up a bunch this weekend :)

I still can't believe Reese is 6 months old.  Time is just going to fly by now ... not that is hasn't passed quickly already, but I find that once they're 6 months old a "routine" is usually established, they start eating solids, they start becoming a bit more independent in sitting, standing, crawling, walking, etc ... which all makes time pass even faster!  I just want to hold onto my babies a little longer and remember every second :S  I was chatting with a friend the other day, who's son is close to Blake's age, and saying that we have been out of high school now for 13 years.  Those 13 years have gone by in the blink of an eye, now just imagine how fast our children's 12 years of grade school are going to go by :(  Thank goodness for a great camera and video!!! 

Talk to you again soon,

Tracy







Friday, May 20, 2011

Blake Smith

There is a reason God gave us Blake as our 1st born ... he was meant to be a big brother :)  He is such an amazing brother to his sister's, it brings tears to my eyes some days!  Don't get me wrong, he is a "normal" 4 yr old boy in that he does fight with his siblings, but the majority of the time he is so patient, kind and gentle with them :) 

He is very tolerant with Emerson!  She knows how to get under his skin and push his buttons, but he takes a lot of it in stride ;)  He also plays very well with her and goes out of his way to make sure she is involved in whatever he is playing!  He involves her in his games and watches over her at the play gym!!  It is very sweet and I think Emerson is going to be very lucky to have him, as she is now, as the years go on and they reach the school years.

Blake also loves Reese so much, it is just adorable!  When Reese was born, his preschool teacher would tell me after almost every class how he talked about his new baby sister everyday :)  How cute is that :)  He HAS to say goodnight to Reese before her naps and bedtime.  No matter where he is in the house, I make sure to let him say goodnight and give her a hug and kiss or he is very upset!  I'm not sure what he'll think of having 2 younger sisters as the years go by, but I know he will always be looking out for them and for that I am extremely grateful!

Blake has learned so much this year at preschool, but he never really imparts to us what his day has involved.  We often find out in little things he says or does when we ask, "Where'd you learn that??"  and he'll say, "At school."  Just last week we were driving to the south side and he asked me, "Where does the Earth end?" I asked him what he knew about the Earth and he said, "Lots, we learned at school."  I'm glad he's absorbing everything from preschool, but hope he won't be bored next year, as he has 1 more full year before he can start Kindergarten! 

Blake is really enjoying his new swimming lessons.  Cal says they work the kids pretty hard!  It is more intense than the 1st level of unparented lessons were, but Blake is doing awesome!!!  He told us today that he wants to move up to Gliders!  We'll see at the end of this session if he's ready for that!  Blake's also talking about playing hockey again.  He's already getting excited and so we've registered him in a hockey camp.  It is in August and runs for 5 mornings.  Hopefully he'll enjoy himself!  He's also going to a YMCA summer camp in July, which runs for 5 mornings!   

I find Blake to be a very gentle, kind soul.  He seems so innocent and vulnerable to me at times, but I have seen him stand up for himself and for that I am glad :)  He is so positive and is always looking at the bright side!  Sometimes he'll want to do something and I'll say, "I'm sorry bud, maybe tomorrow or maybe on the weekend."  He'll think about it for a moment and then say, "Oh yeah Mom, that's okay.  We can .... when Dad's home or on Saturday or before supper, etc, etc." and go off happily to do something else :)

We love you so much Blake, you bring big smiles to our faces every day and we are so glad you are you!  Don't ever change buddy, the world needs more people with your positivity and glass 1/2 full outlook on life :)

xoxo

Emerson Marie

Our strong-willed, adorable, smart, hilarious, fun loving Emerson is too cute for words some days!!!  She is such a little Mommy with her dolls, or babies as she calls them.  She copies everything I do with Reese!  On Monday in the pediatrician's waiting room she took my nursing cover out of my purse and proceeded to nurse her baby!  She even switched sides and burped her baby :)  As a mother who has nursed 3 babies, I find it pretty friggen' cute!!!!  My Mom jokes that she is going to be a lactation consultant when she grows up ... lol!!!  Although right now she tells us she works at Costco!  She walks around the house saying she's going to work!  The first time she did it, we asked her where she works and she came up with Costco!  We asked her what she did at work and she said she makes monies and drinks coffee!!!!  Ha, ha, ha!  Oh and whenever we ask her when she works, she says 3 o'clock! 

Em can be such a sweetheart and a few weeks ago we were sitting on the couch and she turned to me, took my cheeks in her hands and said, "You're so cute!"  I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes!!  She just grinned at me :)  She also loves to say, "Awwww!"  We'll be driving and she'll see a puppy and say, "I see a puppy!  Awwww ... !!"  She also awww's over babies and other "cute" things!!  Such a girly thing to do ;)  We thought she might be a bit of a girly girly, as she loves to dress herself in what she calls her "fancy clothes" but at the same time she LOVES playing outside in the yard and digging in the sand!!

Emerson says the most hilarious things, but her newest saying had us in stitches the first time we hear it, "Sounds like a plan?"  It is so cute, but she used it a few too many times on Blake tonight while they were coloring and we were talking to them about bed time!!!  Finally he screamed at the top of his lungs, "YES EM!!!  IT SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN EM!!!!!"  Of course being the good little sister that she is and seeing that she was getting under his skin, she continued on ;)  Cal and I were laughing pretty hard!  We didn't interfere, we find that sometimes it's best to let those two figure things out themselves!  Learn a few conflict management skills perhaps?!  For the most part, they play very well together!

Emerson is still enjoying her swimming lessons and has another full year before she can move on to unparented lessons.  I think she'd be ready sooner, but they don't allow them to do unparented lessons until they are 3.  The same goes with preschool!  She is dieing to join Blake in his preschool class, but won't be able to until she's 3!  Emerson is taking a break from gymnastics for the summer, but is missing it already!  All day today she was doing her "moves" around the house - her favorite is the stork stance ;)  We'll register her in gymnastics for September!! 

We love you so much Emerson :)  You challenge us daily, but you bring us more joy and laughter then you can imagine!  Don't ever change, your perseverance, stubbornness and huge heart will serve you well in the future years!

xoxo

I'm 6 months old already!!!

Hi everyone!

Yesterday I turned 6 months old! My Mom and Dad say the time has gone by very, very fast!! They feel like I was just born yesterday!

I'm getting good at sitting up by myself now and can't use the Bumbo anymore because I just push myself out!  I love my Jumperoo and Jolly Jumper and my family thinks I am very active, as compared to Blake and Em ;)  I don't even mind tummy time but I do like to roll from my tummy to back.  I haven't tried rolling the other way yet!

Apparently, I'm becoming quite the talker. Actually, Mom calls me a screecher!!!!  I have to be loud sometimes to be heard in this busy house :)  I've been teething for awhile now, but so far no teeth have popped through.  Mom's always trying to give me toys to teeth on, but I prefer my own hand - after all it is always there! 

I tried rice cereal for the first time this week. I really liked it!! I get to try oat cereal next week and hopefully lots of other yummy food that Mom makes me :)

I love Blake and Emerson very much, they make me laugh!!  They seem to love me very much too and are always giving me hugs and kisses!  I'm pretty lucky to have such a great big brother and a great big sister :) 

Every week I go to a program called "Come Play With Me."  It is at the YMCA and Mom, Emerson and I go when Blake is in preschool.  I am starting to enjoy it more and more every week!  I love watching everyone singing during circle time and last week I joined in!!  I may not know the words, but I can sing  my own tune!

I have my 6 month immunizations on June 2nd. We're not looking forward to that appointment - they hurt :( At my 6 month pediatrician appointment this week I was 16 lbs 11 oz and 26" long, which is the 75th %ile for both weight and height.  I had a slow start, but I am gaining weight fast now!!!

I can't wait for my 1st camping trip, which is coming up in June!  Blake and Em are excited too, we're going to their favorite place - Ol McDonald's!!

Well, I hope you enjoyed my little update! Enjoy your summer :) Love to you all!


XOXO

Reese (a.k.a. Reesey, Reesey-Gooey, Reesey-Blueberry - all nicknames my brother and sister have blessed me with!!)

Monday, May 16, 2011

E.N.T., Birthday Party and Dr. visit's!

Blake had his E.N.T. appointment at the U of A on Monday May 9th.  I thought we would be getting a date for a surgery to remove at least 1 of the 2 extra sinuses, but thankfully they do not need to be removed (yet)!  They have never been infected or bothered Blake in any way, so until they get infected we will just leave them alone.  We did not go to the E.N.T. to discuss Blake's ear infections, but he did ask about his ear infection hx and was a bit concerned over the amount of ear infections Blake has had since turning 1.  Although he was glad to hear that he has never had 1 in the summer months and that the the frequency of infections drastically decreased after he stopped going to a dayhome.  He had back to back ear infections from the minute he started going to a dayhome when he was 1 until he stopped going to the dayhome at age 19 months.  They did not all require antibiotics (some were viral infections) and I don't remember 1 keeping him down or bothering him in any way, other then the runny nose that started them all!  Between between ages 2 and 3 he only had 2 or 3 (once again none that I remember bothering him greatly), but between age 3 and 4 he's had 4 and 2 of these have caused quite a bit of pain and the last one was apparently an extremely bad double ear infection.  The E.N.T. said kids will usually grow out of ear infections at around age 7, so we have a few years to go!  Hopefully this winter he won't have too many!  We have to follow up with the E.N.T. in December, as he wants to continue to monitor his sinuses as well as the # of ear infections, if any that he is getting.  He also had a hearing test while we were there and I am happy to report that his hearing is excellent!  So all those times he made us wonder if he had hearing troubles, he was just ignoring us ... go figure ;)  I took the 3 kids to the appt. by myself and I have to say a huge THANK YOU to all 3 for behaving so well :)  2 different people commented on how well behaved they were.  Definitely made my day!!

Sunday afternoon we hosted Blake's 4th birthday party for family and friends at the Jump Zone.  We had a great time bouncing, sliding, breaking the pinata, enjoying dinner and cake and visiting!!  Blake loved the fireman theme he chose and thought it was pretty cool that all the kids were able to bring home their own fire chief hat :)  A huge thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with us and spoil Blake!  We loved having you all and Blake is enjoying playing with his new gifts!
Today we had pediatrician appt's for Reese's 6 month check up and Blake's 4 year check up.  My Mom came with us, which was really nice of her :)  Reese and Blake are both healthy and growing like weeds!!  Reese weighed in at 16 lbs 11 oz and measured 26 " long, both 75th %tile for her age!!!  Her head was in the 60th %tile.  Quite a change from our 2 month old baby who was not putting on weight!!!  Blake weighed in at 43 lbs and measured 43".  His growing has certainly slowed down, but he is still in the 90th %tile for his age for both weight and height! 

And today Reese had her 1st taste of rice cereal!  She was definitely ready and gobbled quite a bit ... she loved it!  So we'll add that into our daily schedule, which some days might be a challenge!!!  I think the cereal may have given her a bit of an upset tummy though, as she's passing really stinky gas tonight and having trouble falling asleep :(  Hopefully her little tummy will adjust soon!  I can't believe she is old enough to start solids :(  I'm loving watching her grow, learn and change, but find it hard to believe she's almost 6 months old already.  All I can think is, "My baby!!!!"  That's something she will have to live with for the rest of her life, although they are all my babies, she is the "baby" of the family and I'm sure will often be reminded of that!

Emerson did not have a Dr. appt. today, but enjoyed the trip and reaped the rewards of the post Dr. visit sucker!!!  She was so cute in the waiting room - she got my nursing cover out of my purse and proceeded to put it on and "feed" her baby ;)  She's such a little Mommy!!  I can't wait to remind her of these times when she's a teenager ... !  Emerson is also giving us trouble tonight :(  She can certainly be stubborn and hard to handle at times!!!  Not so easy for Cal and I to deal with, but on the bright side I don't think we'll ever have to worry about her being pushed around in life ... she's the boss!!!!

Hope you are all doing well, enjoying the weather when the wind is not howling and keeping the mosquito's at bay!

Take care,

Tracy