Summer Fun!

 

I cannot believe summer is over! Although, I am very much ready for cooler weather.  Placing 3 kids in car seats when it is over 100 degrees is brutal!!  Charlotte, Owen, and Max are growing daily and I love the craziness. I find myself holding Charlotte longer when she is crying, breathing in the boys, and cherishing every moment. While I get sad to think we will most likely not have another baby, and each stage that ends will be the last...I look forward to every new phase of life with these 3 amazing kids (and no more diapers!). 

Charlotte this summer has flourished! She is really becoming an awesome little girl! She loves to dance around the house, and we signed her up for ballet and tap this school year. She has started to draw pictures of the family and her imagination is just incredible. She loves knock knock jokes at dinner time, and loves to be silly and make us laugh. 

Owen is my sweet little snuggle bug. He loves to hug and will squeeze back, its really cute! He is  content most of the time. He has started to become more active and is no longer army crawling. He has a huge smile on his face every time he walks around the house with the walker. His first word was dada, and has since said mama. He mostly babbles B sounds. He loves to roll a ball back and forth and thinks its hilarious if it hits him in the head. He loves to eat cheese and toast. He gets really excited when he hears the ice maker go off in the fridge...the kid loves his ice water!

Max is my active guy, who's a mamas boy for sure! He loves to explore and is content to just crawl all over the place. He has the best belly laugh, and is very ticklish. His first word was dada as well, and says mama and dog. He loves to chase or be chased by Charlotte. He also loves to play with cars. He still prefers pureed foods, but has started to like to eat peas, and cheese. He gets excited when dada gets home from work and if he's on the ground he crawls so fast to greet Matt.  

Here are some pictures from the last few months, enjoy!

Celebrating Grandma's birthday and meeting baby Avery!

Zoo, Charlotte's web at Oil Ranch company picnic, and swimming!

Surprise visit to Indiana for Nana and Papaw's birthdays!

4th of July, Charlotte prefers quiet fireworks, ha!

Preparing Charlotte for the dentist, and those mischievous little guys!

Another lake visit. Love spending time with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Scott, Aunt Gigi and Baby Avery!

Exploration park, an amazing new park in our neighborhood!

The boys at 7 months on the top, 8 months on the bottom.

 

9 months on the top and 10 months on the bottom....where has the time gone?

6 months!

Happy half birthday Owen and Max! As I'm trying to write this post I completely realize how much of a whirlwind and a blur the last 6 months have been! As the boys are getting older it is much easier to tell their little personalities apart from each other. Max oh Max, you are the spirited one. Always wanting to be loved on and bounced. You love your paci and lovie blanket. But you are also quick to give out huge smiles and belly laughs. You love peek-a-boo with Charlotte and kisses from everyone! Cool guy Owen, you are happy wherever we put you. That is unless it's in bed at 7pm...then you are a complete mess. You  like to fly in the sky, and cuddle. You love belly kisses and will roll all around the room. 

Both boys are sitting up pretty well, but still need safety pillows just in case. You both roll from back to belly and belly to back. Max is trying to army crawl and usually end up scooting backwards. Owen is happy just rolling around.  They nurse about 6 times a day and wake up ALL THE TIME at night to eat....we are working on that! We started solids a week before they turned 6 months and seem to enjoy everything so far. We have tried avocado, sweet potato, peas, and banana. At the boys 6 month check up Owen was 14 pounds, 10 ounces and 25.75 inches long. Max was 16 pounds, 2 ounces and 25.75 inches long too. 

3 months top, 4 months bottom. 

5 months top, 6 months bottom

bottom left Owen, bottom right Max

Owen in the suspenders, Max in a tie.

Avocado!

Happy 3rd Birthday Charlotte!

Charlotte's 3rd birthday has come and gone. She is becoming such a big girl with a big personality! She has become a leader (that's what you're supposed to say instead of bossy right?!) and an empathetic little girl. She loves to play in her kitchen and make stinky cheese tea, and loves using her drill to put together her helicopter and airplane toys. Her favorite books at the moment are The Book With No Pictures, and Pete The Cat.  Charlotte loves her brothers and gives them hugs and kisses all the time now. She loves to play peekaboo with Max who gives out big belly laughs! She loves to watcth Doc McStuffins and we had a little Doc McStuffins themed party at Grandma and Grandpa's house with Aunt Gigi and Uncle Scott and Charlotte's new cousin Avery!

Charlotte is such a smart little girl (I'm her mom and of course I think she's smart!). She recognizes all the letters in the alphabet and most of the sounds they make! We have been working on site words and she can read the words and, the, and dog. She can spell her name (although the L and O get switched a lot). She counts to 20 and we have been working on simple addition problems. We are almost done with her alphabet book where we have been doing letter crafts for the uppercase and lowercase letters. We are working on writing her name, and she loves to cut paper with scissors.

Charlotte loves going to preschool and now insists on getting dressed herself and doing her own hair. She looks like a raggedy ann doll most days. But she is so proud of herself that I hate to go back and fix her shirt that's on backwards and inside out and her hair that is only brushed in the front. She loves to ride her tricycle, play at the park, and blow bubbles. Her favorite foods are peanut butter and honey sandwiches, avocado, shrimp tacos, and apples and peanut butter.

The term "threenager" completely describes our independent little girl. We have wonderful moments and then we have complete meltdowns. Most of the times the meltdowns crack me up and I have a hard time not laughing while she is screaming "there is an ant on the floor!!" 5 feet away from her! Charlotte can now go to the bathroom by herself and wash her hands. And she can get herself ice water from the fridge. It's helpful that I don't have to get up every time she is thirsty or has to go potty. She loves to cuddle and be tickled. She runs into Daddy's arms when he comes home from work and says "I just love daddy!"

Another big transition has been her big girl bed! She loves her bed and doesn't realize yet that she can get in and out of bed without mom or dad there to tell her it's okay. How long do you think I can pull that off??

I could go on and on forever, but I'll just get to the pictures! Enjoy!

Rodeo Day at Preschool, Pete The Cat book project, and pictures in the Texas Bluebonnets.

Big Girl Bed, reading to her brothers, planting our garden, and those big beautiful blue eyes. 

Birthday Streamers on her door, Birthday donut and cupcakes! Tutu fun from Aunt Ramona (thanks again!)

Owen and Max!

Happy birthday Owen Matthew and Maxwell Jay! They made their way into the world on October 22nd at 12:11 and 12:12! They both came out crying and healthy. The last 2.5 months have been a blur, but such a blessing! We definitely have been blessed with amazing extended family who came to watch Charlotte while we were in the hospital and help out for a month after the boys arrived!  We have enjoyed watching the boys grow and develop their personalities, and watch Charlotte start to interact with (and start to like) the boys! Here are some pictures, enjoy!

36 weeks! We made it!

Oh my goodness we made it to our goal of 36 weeks! We officially have an end date in sight, Oct. 22nd will be our scheduled c-section if the babies hang on that long! At that point I will be 37 weeks and 6 days! Although I would totally be okay if they wanted to come before then :) I have been feeling okay, sleeping a lot less and moving a lot slower.  Swelling has started getting worse in my face and fingers, but nothing too crazy...yet! The last ultrasound the boys were 5lbs 3 oz and 5 lbs 10oz. We can't wait to meet these precious blessing! 

Charlotte and I have been getting our quality time in together. She is also very excited for Grandma and Grandpa and Nana and Papaw to come visit and play with her. She keeps asking Nana to take her to the park :) She also says she is going to meet her baby brothers soon, but they are still growing.  Lately she has been OBSESSED with dancing to the dinosaur song, the goldfish song, and shake your body down song. She wants to teach the songs to her baby brothers :) Here are some recent pictures...

Pumpkin farm, swinging at the park, painting "robots" and she found our secret back up blanket that we use to rotate while cleaning and for back up in case we lose one....she now thinks she has two blankees...haha! 

Sleeping, and playing...and our celebration cupcakes for making it to 36 weeks! 

Preschool!

Well they let Charlotte pass 1 year old preschool and move on to 2 year old preschool. So proud :) She is LOVING her new classroom and new teachers, no tears have been shed going to preschool, even on the first day! She is such a funny, smart little girl. Her imagination is just incredible and I love playing with her and watch her make up scenarios. Her favorite seems to be sending her princesses to preschool and opening and closing pretend doors.  She also loves to get out her pretend tools and fix chairs. She is still excited about her new brothers she even told her teachers she was going to share her toys. Although, the teacher then asked if she was going to share mommy and she shook her head no...so we have a little to work on still! 

The twin pregnancy is still going really well (knock on wood). I was even given the okay to fly to my sister's wedding in Indiana, which was just incredible! I am now 33 weeks and the boys are growing like crazy. The last ultrasound at 32 weeks they were 4# 5 oz and 4# 7 oz. I feel very blessed to have had such an easy pregnancy and to have made it this far! Our goal is still 36 weeks...so only 3 more weeks! Just taking it one day at a time. Here are some pictures from the past few weeks, enjoy!

Meet the teacher and first day of preschool!

playing with her shadow, paint, and sprinklers in the backyard!

Sam and Kevin's Wedding Rehearsal

Sam and Kevin's wedding day

The beautiful baby shower put together by some pretty amazing women!