Sweet boys

Austin is 8 months old now.  He has two little teeth that are just starting to poke through and he says dada like he means it.  We have been holding our breath for a month now thinking everytime he is up on all fours that he is going to crawl, we are turning blue.  We're pretty sure he COULD do it, he just doesn't WANT to do it.  What he really wants is to walk like Edward.  He is already pulling himself up on the crib, coffee table and anything else he can get a good grip on.  He loves the swing, loves Melinda, hates to be left out of the fun and still is not a great sleeper (we are currently blaming that on the teething).  I call him BooBoo and still think of him as my little baby even though he is rapidly gaining on his older brother.  Speaking of older brother. . .

He is only two but sometimes seems like such a BIG BOY.  He is gaining new independence everyday and will firmly tell me "I do it myself!". I am amazed at how much he learns everyday- the new words he tries out, the songs he sings and  the ladders he climbs are all signs that we are leaving toddler behind and moving on to little boy.  He is such a tender big brother and I am thankful that at least for now he dotes on Austin like the rest of us.  Yesterday, as I was scrambling to get dinner, Austin was crying for attention and food.  Edward sat down next to him and patted him saying what he has heard me say hundreds of times, "it's ok baby." Today he was sick so we had  a day with just the two of us, he wanted to be held and laid his head in my lap until he fell asleep. I took advantage of his cuddliness, ran my fingers through his curls and kissed on his sweet cheeks.  I am SO thankful for my little man.

Wake up Bears

I took Edward on his first hike a few weeks ago.  We had talked about wearing a backpack and carrying water and food.  When I asked if he wanted anything else in his bag he said his cymbals.  Instead of arguing that cymbals are not really useful on a hike I threw them in his bag and we took off.  About five minutes down the trail he stopped and told me he needed his cymbals.  He apparently knew what they were for.  Check it out here.

In the eyes of a two year old

Have you ever wondered what the world looks like when you are 3 feet tall?  Just give your toddler a camera and you"ll get the idea. Edward recently discovered the digital camera and it has made for some pretty funny pictures- a lot of crotch shots, floors and ceilings. 

Hope you had a happy 4th

Waiting for the parade to start

Edward eating candy he caught

Annabella and Austin

Edward riding Checkers the pony

We spent the holiday weekend in Vail with the Lotspeichs' and Andy's family.  We had a great weekend hanging out in the mountains.

Teva Mtn Games

Through a series of somewhat unfortunate events we have a condo in Vail with no renters and have decided to take advantage of it (at least for the next month).  I drove up with the boys early Friday and Andy joined us after work.  We were going to check out our place and see what work needed to be done after having renters there for two years.  Much to our surprise the place looked pretty good.  We definitely have some work to do but overall it is intact.  It happened to be Teva Mountain Games this weekend and we went to check it out on Saturday.  Edward even got in on the action in a kayak. Check it out here!  We also had a Ryan and Trista (plus their two kids) sighting at Pirate Ship Park. We drove back to Denver in time for Bella's first birthday party and some more time in the water.

Summer

Summer got off to a slow start around here.  We had a few teaser days of warm weather and a lot of cold rain this spring.  True to Colorado weather overnight everything changed and we are now enjoying hot summer days and cool nights.  We bought this kiddie pool last year but Edward is much more into this year.  He loves getting naked, going pee pee in the grass and then climbing in the pool to splash around.  Austin was a welcome playmate but he had enough of the splashing and really enjoyed watching Edward from the sidelines.

6 Months

ht. 28 1/4 (95%) wt. 20 lbs 11 oz (92%) head 18 1/2 in. (99%)

Halfway through the first year, hard to believe. You have brought us immeasurable joy, you have brought us to our knees in prayer, you make us laugh and you still don't let us sleep (much). You can roll over from your back to your tummy but not the other way. You love the exersaucer and can bounce up and down in it like a ball. You are fascinated with your older brother and love your dog. You have a good appetite and like peas, apples, bananas, squash and cereal. You don't like avocados. You squeal when you get excited and laugh when we hold you upside down. The doctor keeps telling me that the spit up will get better, I don't believe him- I owe half the laundry pile to you. You sit like a big boy and are showing some signs that crawling is next. You are snuggler and would be happy for me to hold you all day long. I love you, happy half year birthday.

Title 9k

 

We celebrated Mother's Day in Boulder. Theresa and I ran in the Title 9k (really 9.9 k, why not call it a 10k?because the name wouldn't be as catchy) and were cheered on by our men, big and small. This was a really challenging race for me because I barely trained. I haven't been that unprepared for something in a long time and I was really nervous. Just before pulling into the parking lot Edward choked on his breakfast and threw up all over himself and his carseat, of course we had no extra clothes for him. After an emergency stop on the side of the road to wipe him off, Andy dropped me at the race and took off for the nearest Target. They made it back just as T and I finished and we hung out and enjoyed the beautiful day. Thank you boys for giving me a reason to celebrate.

Easter in Alabama

Easter Sunday morning

Thanks for the matching shirts Mom!

Helping Granna fly the kite

Bedtime Stories

Thanks to a great deal on some last minute tickets, we did it, we got on a plane with two kids and flew to Alabama.  It took 7 bins to get us through airport security but it was worth it.  We had a great time with family and friends.  Edward loved the farm and had no problems adjusting to farm life.  Who knew our little city kid would love chasing the goats, climbing on the tractor and feeding Princess (the donkey) apples.  He loved playing with cousin Gus, driving the four wheeler and riding in the paddle boat.  The pollen did not really agree with Austin who spent most of the trip sneezing and coughing but he was trooper and enjoyed all the open arms willing to hold him.  I am so thankful for such a wonderful family and amazing friends- thanks Ashleigh, Angie, and April for taking time to come and see us.  We are already looking forward to our next trip.

Check up

2 years

ht. 35 in (65%)  wt 28.13 lbs (60%) head 52.4 cm (100%)

I have very few pictures of Edward at this age because he rarely sits still enough for me to get a shot.  I guess I need to learn how to capture moving objects.  He really looked forward to going to see Dr. B and was very brave even though he had to get a shot, a Snoopy band-aid cleared the tears right up.  He loves to put on my visor and then go out for a "run".  Austin and Melinda and I follow patiently down the sidewalk as Edward runs, pauses to sit by trees and picks up rocks. Often he wants to ride his "bicycle" which really means I push him on his tricycle while carrying Austin in the sling and wrangling Melinda on the leash.  Everytime we get ready to leave for an adventure he always asks- "Minda too?". How can I say no.  He is pushing the limits and testing the waters.  Anything that earns him a time out is so tempting, he does it again and again just to see if he gets the same result. He loves school and his friends and most of all "Autin". 

4 months

ht. 27 in (97%) wt. 17.7 lbs (92%) head 46 cm (100%)

He has at least one thing in common with his older brother, the doctor says their potential for Harvard is excellent.  They are just being nice when they say 100%, I saw the curve, they are off the charts.  Despite throwing up all over me everytime he eats, Austin continues to outpace Edward in the growth department.  He is such a sweet baby and would love it if I could hold him every second of the day.  He laughs when we make faces and loves to be turned upside down.  We are working on rolling over and holding his head up (it is a heavy load).  He sucks on everything but a pacifier and his favorite time of day is just before his bath when we play on the bed. I still count his number of breaths at night just to make sure everything is okay and analyze every cough, making sure it is not a sign of something more ominous. He wakes up happy and gives us a big smile each morning when we go in his room. He is ambivalent towards the bottle but will tolerate it when he gets hungry enough. Holding him is so amazing, I know it will be over too soon and he will be going for a "run" with Edward.

Happy 2nd Birthday Edward

Edward turned 2 last Saturday.  We celebrated with Elmo cupcakes on Friday with his class at school and with Elmo cake on Saturday at our house.  A year ago he had just a few words and was doing his best to walk without falling down.  Now he repeats everything and anything, he says hi to every person and dog we pass.  Last night as we pushed his stroller down a busy street in our neighborhood he started yelling "out of my way".  Where does he learn this stuff?  He continues to love any game that involves a ball and is having a lot of fun with the basketball hoop he got for his birthday.  He is an amazing big brother and really helps me take care of Austin.  He is so sweet and caring towards his little brother and it melts my heart everytime he leans over to kiss him.  He runs so fast it is hard to keep up with him and his energy seems endless.  We love him so much and are so proud of our little man.  Happy Birthday Edward!

No More O2

As of last Tuesday we are oxygen free which has made everyone, most of all Austin, very happy. He is continuing to get stronger each day. He is making up for lost time in the growing department- he gained a pound in 4 days to bring him to 15 lbs 5 oz., if I hadn't seen the scale myself I wouldn't have believed it. We are still trying to get back on a better sleep schedule but continue to be so thankful that we are at home with two healthy boys.

No place like HOME

 We are so glad to be back home

Austin is too!

 

Hanging out with big brother Edward and Cookie Monster

Edward wants stickers on his face like Austin

We were released from the hospital yesterday and took our second trip home from the hosptial with Austin(the first being his birth).  I had everything packed by 8 o'clock yesterday morning.  The nurse practitioner came around and wasn't totally thrilled with the way Austin sounded so we had to wait for the attending doctor to come see him and give the OK to go home.  I was holding my breath and praying she would say we were good to go.  She reluctantly said they wouldn't be doing anything there that we couldn't do at home so here we are with our oxygen tanks and 14 feet of tubing.  Edward was so happy to see Austin and completely fascinated with the oxygen.  Our first night was a little rough, Andy and I were awake most of the night making sure Austin had his oxygen on and was still breathing.  Not that we needed to look at him, he sounds like a freight train rolling through he rattles so loud.  So now we are just monitoring his breathing and waiting for his congestion to decrease. We go to our regular pediatrician later this week and will hopefully be able to wean the oxygen off soon.  Thank you again for all the prayers, messages, and well wishes.  We are still not completely out of the woods but so thankful that Austin is recovering well.