13 Month (Close Enough)

This is a couple of weeks late, but the pictures are close to 12/3.  At least I’ve got that down.  I figured I get a little bit of break because I’m back at work.

What are you up to now that you are a full 13-month old? Lots of stuff.  You are like a sponge.  You are doing a couple of signing – more and eat.  You are running and climbing all over.  You can now get off the sofa on your own.  You are not talking yet and you have not really said anything new since last month, but I know you understand what we are saying to you. You do a lot of pointing to get us to do what you want.

You are having a tough month so far because of your teething.  You added 2 more bottom teeth and I just know that a couple of molars are coming in.  You have been so cranky and clingy lately.  I think a lot of it has to do with me going back to work too. 

You are sleeping better.  You take a bottle before bed at around 9pm and will sleep until about 12:30am to 1am.  Then you will go back to sleep until about 4-5am. BUT just last night, you only had that bottle before you went to sleep.  We may be making progress!

You still love to hear me sing.  You love the “Itsy-Bitsy Spider” and “Heads, Shoulder, Knees and Toes.” Last night Sarah told me that you know where your eyes and your nose were, but when Michael tried to get you to show me, you just pointed to your head.  Hmmm…

And you are a dancing machine! Anytime music comes on, you bounce up and down and pump your arms up and down. Daddy gets a huge kick out of that. and he's jealous that you have more rhythm than him. Haha. You are mesmerized every time "Gagnam Style" comes on. It's so funny!

I think one of the funniest things that you do right now is whenever you get hurt anywhere on your body, you point to your head.  If you fall down and hurt your knee, you will point to your head if I ask you where your booboo is. Hilarious.

You are drinking exclusively whole milk now.  We weaned you off the formula and we are saving a bunch of money.  Haha. You are eating table food but still snack on the Gerber finger food snacks (sweet potato stars).  You love my roasted chicken, but no fish.  You will eat pork and steak sometimes, but I think your favorite this week are roast beef and turkey I get from Market Street.  No veggies, but you love fruits (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, tangerines, pomegranates, and bananas).  We haven’t fed you a fruit that you didn't like.

Since we haven’t gone to the doctor, I’m not really sure of your stats.  You probably gained less than a pound from last month and you haven’t really grown that much so let’s just a assume that you are about the same size and weight. 

Even though this post isn't as detailed as the previous one, just know that I love you so much and get a big kick out of your antics.  Oh, I almost forgot to let you know that you are a total tantrum thrower.  You roll around on the floor, walk around throwing your head back and crying and carrying on.  If you don’t believe me, I have it on tape (or memory disc or whatever we have now). Love you with all my heart!

December 1

 December 5

December 6

The Camera

This is a really silly little post just to remind myself to be more of an optimist.  This is a story about how our camera found its way home with help from kind-hearted Dragons. 

A couple of weeks ago, we all went to see the Dragon football team play at the Birdville Stadium.  We decided to bring our nice, expensive camera with the zoom so we can capture this game to remember. 

We had a great time.  We brought a pizza with us and tailgated in the parking lot.  The stadium was packed, but we were fortunate enough to find seats behind the Belle and Band section.  Best of all, the Dragons won in a close game and we left the stadium happy thinking about going to the next round of the playoffs.

The next day, I had this sinking feeling and realized that we may have left the camera under the bleacher.  I quick check in our car confirmed my feeling.  I was so upset, not only did I lose the camera, but also the pictures that I never downloaded. 

I called the Birdville School District hoping that someone had picked it up and turned it in to the lost and found, but was told that there was no camera. I pretty much convince myself that the camera was a goner and was really bummed.

Then, on Tuesday I got a phone call on my cell from Mrs. Meacham, a Kindergartner teacher at the boys’ school.  She asked if I was at the game on Saturday and I said yes.  She asked if I was missing something and my heart skipped a beat.  She had my camera!

Apparently, after we left, her neighbor saw the camera and picked it up.  They went through the pictures and recognized Ms. Neathery in one of the pictures.  They took the camera and showed Ms. Neathery and she recognized Michael in one of the other pictures. And that’s how my camera found its way home

 It’s such a great story that I had to write about it to remember how fortunate we are to be part of the Dragon family.  I am so proud to be able to say that we live in Southlake and to be part of this wonderful community.

M and the boys at the game WITH the camera.

No Camera...

Random Stuff That Happened

Ugh.  Where to start?  It’s been a long time and I am so far behind on posting that it seems impossible to catch up.  And the worst part is, it’s not even because I don’t have time.  It’s because of writer’s block.  I’ve finally realized that to get rid of writer’s block is just to write – even if it’s about nothing at all.

I’ll try not to make this too rambling, but it’s hard since so much time has passed and there have been so many things to tell.

We were so excited to have my parents come visit for a little over a week to celebrate Thanksgiving with us.  The kids had so much fun with them.  We went to see the ICE! Exhibit at the Gaylord Texan.  The ICE! Exhibit was OK, but I was very impressed on how beautifully decorated the Gaylord Texan is.  Thousands of sparkling lights dangling from the glass ceiling, huge 30-foot Christmas tree, hundreds of bright red poinsettias were just a few things we saw walking around.

At the ICE! Exhibit- Merry Madagascar.  They keep it at a toasty 9 degrees.

The kids also went to see Rise of the Guardians with their Poh-Poh and Gong-Gong and loved it. They were spoiled rotten, of course, and I am OK with that. 

The boys also got to meet their little cousin Dylan for the first time and they fell in love with him this Thanksgiving.  Matty and Michael were such good big brothers and big cousins to Mark and Dylan and that makes me so proud. I have so much to be thankful for, but I am most thankful for family who loves and support us. I am thankful for my boys who are just so perfect and I couldn’t ask for better.  I am so thankful for M who lets me do whatever I want and loves me even when I’m at my worst.  Thankful that I can celebrate my favorite time of the year with them all.

Over the Thanksgiving break, Michael had a soccer tournament and made it all the way to the quarterfinals, but lost in the semifinals.  What’s memorable about this tournament was that he was heartbroken about the loss.  I have never seen him so upset about losing and since then, I’ve noticed that he’s got this passion for winning.  He wants to win and has been playing super aggressive.  Last indoor game he played, he got 3 goals.  I wasn’t there, but M said he played one of his best games ever.  

My little mark turned 13 months last week and I haven’t been able to post his stats yet, but I have to say that he has been so very cranky. But with good reason – he got 2 more teeth last week and I see that he may be getting molars in soon.  Poor baby.  He’s had the hardest time with teething. And to top it off, he’s having to deal with a big change – Mommy going back to work.  He’s been very clingy and freaks out every time I walk out of the room. This is the hardest part about going back to work.

On Saturday, we received a letter from the district telling us that they want Matthew to be in the Gifted and Talented Education because he scored really high on some tests the district gave him in October.  We are so proud of him!  The only thing I don’t understand is that Michael’s scores were higher but he didn’t qualify.  I’ve got it on my list to call the coordinator to see why that is.

On Saturday, we also went to see the Dragon football team play at SMU. It was such an exciting game.  It was too bad that we lost the game due to poor coaching and one-sided refereeing.  The boys did a great job and played their hearts out, but there were too many obstacles to overcome. Michael took the loss pretty hard. I told him, at the end of the day, as long as the boys played as well as they can, it’s all good. There’s always another game to win. 

A Lot About Nothing

Well hello, cold weather.  Thanks for finally joining us right in time for an upcoming weekend of soccer tournament OUTSIDE. Your timing in impeccable.

This is going to be a busy, busy week - again. I just need the school to not try and pack everything in right before a week-long break, but those PTO moms are a clever bunch.  Yes, they are.  Is it a coincidence that they would schedule Grandparents day the same week of Book Fair? Oh by the way- since y'all are here, why not pick out an "angel" that's so conveniently laid out for you in the lobby? Everybody is doing it...

And my parents are coming to visit for ten whole days!  We are so excited for them.  Michael and Matthew has been counting down the days every morning at breakfast.  This morning Matthew said he wishes today was Wednesday. Then Michael asked if he could have early dismissal from school to pick up his grandparents.  I said they wouldn't be here until 6.  He said I should pick them up from school early anyway so they can prepare for the arrival.

We had a really nice, warm weekend.  On Saturday, M and I dropped Mark off at the in-laws and took the boys and our neighbor, Luc to see "Wreck it Ralph." It was sooo good.  I loved it! It was creative, clever, and the story and characters were just so great. One of the most imaginative animated movies since "Monsters, Inc."

Sunday was pretty laid back.  It was rainy day so we spent the day watching football and reading. BTW-I finally got a card from our public library after 2 years of living here. What a great place.  Not only is it a great place to borrow books, but they have reading programs and art class for the kids for FREE.  I love me some FREE. I took the boys to an origami class Friday night.  They didn't really like it, but I'm glad they gave it a try.

Oh, and I got a verbal offer on a job! Tentatively schedule to start on December 3rd.  I'm hoping to get a written offer early this week.  Ironically, I have an interview for a position at my former company tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Happy 1st Birthday!

My little Mark, you are 1 year old! You are changing so fast that it's hard to keep up.  In the past few days, you've been doing something new each and every single day. You understand directions like,
"go get your shoes" or "put your clothes in the basket."  You are babbling, but no words yet.  Dr. Scott says that that is OK because you have good receptive speech, which basically means that you can understand speech.  There are so many things that you are doing now, but here are some highlights.


Things to Remember:

Weight - At your 1-year checkup, you are about 21lbs. and 5oz ( a little over 25th percentile)

Height - 19.5 inches, so I overestimated a little for your 11-month post (a little over 25th percentile)

Head - 19.25 inches (90th percentile) - so you're basically a bobble-head doll.

Teeth - Still 6!  There are 2 full bottom teeth and 4 on top, but you are super cranky at night for the past couple of weeks so I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see a another couple of teeth breaking through. You haven't added any more teeth

Food - You will eat anything we give you, but no more jarred baby food for you.  You won't open your mouth for this.  Dr. says it is OK to gradually give you whole milk to replace your formula. You Eating has been inconsistent lately, so I'm sure it will keep changing. We'll usually give you a snack in between lunch and dinner of either fruit or yogurt (which you started to love!). You want to eat whatever we are having.

• Formula - You've cut down on formula since we've started giving you table food.  No more bottles during the day, but  still have 3 bottles at night though. Pretty sure it's comfort thing.

Sleep - You are napping 1-2 times a day anywhere from 1-2 hours. One morning nap and 1 afternoon naps. For the past week, I've been putting you down for your nap on the couch so I don't have to hold you while you are sleeping.  Your sleeping still sucks.  It's been up and down lately with more downs than up.  You're waking up every 2-3 hours for a bottle. 

Clothes size - You're wearing 12-18 months clothes.

Diaper size - Still size 4

You understand simple directions we give you.  You love being outside and you love walking your brothers to the bus stop. You also get SO excited to see your brothers get off the school bus.  Your mood changes immediately when you see them.  At night, you get so upset if they leave the room without you so Michael will take you everywhere they go.

You love it when I sing songs to you and you can actually do the little hand motions.  You LOVE to clap and you love it when we sing the "If you are happy and you know it" song.  When we laugh, you will throw your head back and laugh with us.  Just today, when Matthew coughed, you faked coughed with him.  It was the so funny!

You make me laugh everyday.  You amaze me everyday with your cleverness.  You always brighten my day and we all love you so very much.  You have brought so much joy to our lives!  You are my special little man, especially now that your brothers so such big boys!

We celebrated your birthday by going to lunch at PF Chang's and then coming home for cake!  You were sure about the cake at first, but then decided that it wasn't too bad.  You sure made a big mess eating it up though!

Smash cake!

Having the best time with the balloons

What's this?

Hmm, not bad...

 I'm going to try a bigger piece

This is delicious! Guys, have you had this stuff?!

Oh yeah, baby!

Please ignore the diaper box.

Love these boys!

Going to mow the lawn now that the fun is over.

Book Parade & Boosterthon-Oh My

Last week was a very busy week for us. Here's the Cliff Notes version and this does not include Mark's birthday post.  That's to come because I think I need to put a little thought into it.  We went for his 1-year check-up and we were referred to a pediatric surgeon-nothing serious, but something we need to take care of.  More details to come on his check-up post.

But here's what's been happening.  Last Wednesday, the boys had a book parade at their school which they do every year.  The kids get to dress up as a character from one of their favorite books.  Michael went as a ninja from the Magic Treehouse series "Night of the Ninja" and Matthew dressed up as Jack from the same series titled "Dolphins at Daybreak."

On Friday, the kids had the Boosterthon Fun Run to raise money for their school.  It was a great event to get the kids moving and it teaches them some really great lessons, but after 3 years, it's getting to be a chore to get pledges. By pledges, I mean from me and M.  I don't like asking others to pledge. But it was a beautiful day to be out there and Mark had fun watching his big bros!

Matthew's run started at 9:30 and Michael's race started at 10:30 so I was there most of the day with Mark.  He did great at the first race.  He stayed in his stroller almost the whole time.  During Michael's race, it was a different story.  He wanted out and he wanted to get into everything!  He was trying to pull the flags out, and he loved sneaking away to pick up the cones that marked the track.

Lining up to start...

And he's off!  Well, sort of.  Matthew ran maybe 3 laps altogether. He walked most of it and was not enthusiastic walking.  It was, "so I really have to do this?" walking.

Mark trying to pull out the flags

Matthew's silly class picture

Michael's turn to run..

 Posing for pictures with friends

Watching from inside the track

Michael's class picture

Halloween 2012

Phew! It's been a busy week and I've got lots I can write about and before you get excited, it's not really exciting stuff.  But first thing is first--Halloween.  Mark's 1st EVER Halloween to be more specific.

He made the cutest, most adorable, little dragon ever! And to my shock? He actually wore his hood the whole time! Michael made up his own costume.  He went trick or treating as Ryu from Street Fighter. Matthew went as a black ninja.

We went out at about 7 and we were back home a little after 8.  Michael actually asked to come home. M took Mark out with us for a little bit.  After 15 minute, he fell asleep in his stroller so M took him home.  He didn't trick or treat but I think he had fun! I just wish Halloween would always fall on a Friday or Saturday night because the kiddos were tired this morning!

He wasn't sure about the costume at first.

How sweet is this picture?