wasn't it just yesterday...

I know a lot of life has happened in the almost 6 years that this sweet little lady was born.

But it really doesn't feel like it should be time for her to go off to school.

Wasn't it just yesterday we were holding you for the first time and taking you home from the hospital?

Now we're taking you to buy new clothes for school and school supplies.

Wasn't it just yesterday I was rocking you to sleep?

Now you just do your own routine and climb up into the top bunk.

Wasn't it just yesterday you were beginning to call us Mama and Dada for the first time?

Now you grab the phone and call your dad anytime you want.

Wasn't it just yesterday you were raising your hands up and saying you were "SO BIG!"?

Now you're grabbing my hand and doing the "Kissing Hand" and telling me I'll be okay without you.



Wasn't it just yesterday you were taking your first steps?

Now you're doing gymnastics and dance all over the living room.



Wasn't it just yesterday you were the only one running around this house?

Now you're the big sister, mothering your brothers every chance you get.

Wasn't it just yesterday I was dressing you in cute little girl outfits and matching bows?

Now you pick out your own outfits and do your own ponytails.

Wasn't it just yesterday you were trying to figure out how to peddle that tricycle?

Now you take off on two wheels like you've been doing it since birth.

Wasn't it just yesterday we dropped you off at daycare for the first time and both cried our eyes out?

Now you're laughing at me and making fun of me because I cried at Kindergarten enrollment.

Wasn't it just yesterday you wanted to walk by my side every where I was, even to the next room?

Now you walk off and say "bye mom" without looking back.



Wasn't it just yesterday I thought that Kindergarten seemed so long away?

And now it's here.



gavin {8 months}

Gavin turned 8 months a couple of weeks ago.  I was hoping after having to re-do his pictures last month, (after accidentally deleting them all), that this month's pictures would be better.

But our sweet little boy was just not happy at all. It's hard enough to try to find one time to fit a little photo shoot in, so I'm not about to try to find a 2nd time.  So this is what you get of Gavin at 8 months.

Definitely not a very good representation of him.  But he really wasn't happy about having to lay on his back for pictures.



I had about 5 short seconds when he stopped crying, so I clicked as fast as I could.  And then he started getting upset again.



What a big month!  You are officially on the move.  All over the place.

You crawled for the first time at Aunt Rebekah's house in Cincinnati on the last day of our vacation.  You also pulled yourself up to your feet all by yourself that day too. I guess you were just wanting to show up for cousin Alice.

Within a week from being home from vacation you were all over the place at home, down the hall, room to room, in the bathroom, under the table, and pulling up on everthing.  It's been a long time since we've had to chase a baby around the house, make sure doors and gates are closed and fish something out of a baby's mouth every 10 minutes.  You are definitely keeping us on our toes.

A few other memories of your 8th month:

*your first family vacation to Michigan

*your first 4th of July, thankfully you slept soundly through all the fireworks
*your first time to be away from mommy for a long period of time - 4 days!  We both did fine.
*we finally got your neck straightened out

*your choice method of communication is a high pitched squeal.  All the time. You have yet to really say anything else.  No syllables, maybe some vowel sounds here or there.  You just prefer to scream when you're happy, when you want to get someone's attention, when you're mad, really just for anything.  Your poor daddy's sensitive ears - it's actually quite painful for him. I think we need to figure out how to break you from this.  It was only cute for about the first 3 minutes.

*you STILL like your legs to be swaddled up to sleep. We have been thinking about trying to see what you'd do if we don't swaddle you, but sleep time is so precious around here, why mess with it?

Oh goodness how you do my heart good.  Perhaps now, more than ever before.

Your sister heads off to school in 2 days.  Your brother goes to preschool in a few weeks.

Oh, how thankful I am for my little straggler.  I hope you're ready for lots of Mommy and Gavin time soon. It's just gonna be me and you sweet boy.

August 2012 is here

I'm a little frazzled lately. 

The calendar turned to August.  As in August 2012.  The month that I had counted out years ago, as the month I'd send my first baby to school.  And now it's here.  After thinking that month seemed SO far off,  and thinking I had plenty of time with my first born, August 2012 is here.

 

On top of school, our calendar is blowing up at the seems.  We were lazy all summer.  Other than the trips we took, we didn't have much on the calendar at all.  But that's all changing now that it's August.  Which is okay, a routine is good, and helps me be more productive.  But there's usually still some anxiety and stress as we transition into new busy seasons of life. 

On top of my girl going to Kindergarten, and our calendar getting super full, I'm also getting to do the single mom gig all week, for a few weeks.  We are always thankful that Dave has work, and especially thankful that his crew is actually super busy.  But having work that is an hour and a half away is not so fun.  It's too far away for them to drive back and forth every day, so it makes more sense to stay for the week.  So my mom came to help me juggle things for a week.  Then we'll manage on our own next week. The week didn't have the best start when Dave had to leave at 5 am, Monday morning, after listening to me puke my brains out for a few hours in the early morning.  I'm pretty sure he felt quite awful about having to leave me.  But I assured him (even if I didn't believe myself) that we'd be fine.  And thankfully after Nana came to take all the kids for a few hours while I laid in bed moaning, I felt better about noon when I finally crawled out of bed to start the week.  I guess that taco, pepsi, funnel cake and more pepsi at the fair the night before didn't set so well with me.

So maybe this extra stress and busyness would explain why on earth I had a meltdown at Kindergarten enrollment today.  Yeah, it wasn't so pretty.  Kind of embarrassing actually. Normally I have a pretty good idea of what's gonna cause me to be emotional.  Like the first day of Kindergarten...I've been completely prepared to deal with emotions that day.  I realize I may be fine, and I realize I may possibly lose it.  Or anything in between.  But TODAY?  Enrollment?  It's just filling out a bunch of papers, and writing a check. I didn't even know it was possible to cry at enrollment.  It never even crossed my mind that today would be difficult.  But oh man, those emotions snuck up on me quick.

I'm sure there were several factors that didn't help.  Like being tired, and feeling stressed and maybe even a little nervous to be a in a new place.  I have been known to cry when I'm nervous.  But all it took was for one person to ask me how I was doing and I started trying to fight back tears.  I had Taylor and Mason with me, and I tried REALLY hard to hold it together.  But as I was being walked into the gym, with more comments about sending Taylor off to school, I had to stop and escape towards the bathrooms.  I couldn't hold the tears in and completely lost it.  I couldn't help but laugh at myself too.  SERIOUSLY?  Crying at enrollment?  Please please please someone tell me I am not the first mom to do that. 

My poor kiddos wondered what in the world was wrong with me.  Both of their eyes got a little watery too.  Thank the Lord they didn't start crying too.  Otherwise it may have been quite the spectacle. Luckily I had a sweet lady who stood with me and hugged me.  I think I made her cry too though.

I pulled it together, dried my face, and with puffy eyes I sat down and waited for our number to be called.  The rest of the process was painless.  Later today Taylor said "Mom, can I tell Nana you cried at enrollment?  It's ok if you don't want me to, I don't have to".  We are definitely trying to laugh about it now though.

So I think that means I got all my tears out, and I'll be 100% fine on the first day of school. Surely, right?

Whether I'm ready or not, August 2012 is here. 

Someone please remind me to get good sleep next week.  That may help.

Having my hubby back would probably help too (but I don't think I'm going to get that)

last of vacation 2012 {the non-water parts}

Here's a little peak at what we did when we weren't in the water.

(although there are still some water pictures, seeing as it was hard to get away from).

Dave was quite the willing one to run any errands that anyone needed, even if it meant going back to the grocery store a handful of times in one day.

Only because he got to drive this around.

Brothers.

I do have to say that having older cousins who LOVE their baby cousin comes in quite handy.

Jeremy and Gavin were insperable.  He would even hold him when he was fussing.

Dave and I got out of a lot.

I seriously laughed out loud at this picture. And when I showed it to Dave we both were laughing so hard we had tears. It may not be that funny to you.

What's funny is that I didn't even know that Mason had a peace sign held up when I was taking the picture.  I had a series of shots with him and Paige swinging, and in just this one, he has his peace sign up. I didn't even know he knew what a peace sign is.

Gavin loved his first trip to the lake.

Here's Taylor her first time at the lake.

And since Mason was only 4 months old his first time, he pretty much just slept.

 Here's proof I was actually there.

Reminds me so much of this picture in 2008, with Mason.

 The family basketball scrimmage was probably my favorite.

Until a certain someone got upset and tried to demand that everyone stop playing.

It's his way or the highway sometimes.  For him, it was the highway this time.

The girls even snuck in some girly things like nail painting and lots of dancing shows.

 We celebrated 4 family birthdays that are all in June and July.

And Sydney had such a sweet gift for all of the kids.  The first bald headed doll (for those who have lost their hair due to cancer and other diseases).  She also now owns the first bald American Girl doll too.  (you'd never know that she was ever bald due to her chemo, except that her hair grew back with the cutest curls!)

 And Papa got an iPad.  He's excited about FaceTime and Instagram so he and Nana can stay caught up with all the grandkids.

Well, that's the end.

6 days in the sun and water, 7 crazy kids who are so excited to see each other, 8 adults, some fireworks, 2 boats and a jet ski, 6 iPhones, 5 iPads, lots of food, yummy drinks, lots of layers of sunscreen, tons of corn dip, a few storms, a little hail, a marshmallow toss, movies, fingernail painting, lots of shows and dances by the girls,  ladder ball, a muscle car photo shoot,  a lot of pictures and a pretty cute baby.

Vacation 2012.