Christmas at Home

We had  a quiet Christmas at home with the five of us before the chaos of company arriving and heading to Montrose. We opened all our gifts from each other, from Oma and Opa, and from their cousins from my side. The boys were very excited to give their gifts to each other. Tyler had picked out a Oso toy for Carter and Carter picked out a Monster truck for Tyler. They both gave Nolan some balls, which they loved opening for him and showing them to him.  We were all completely spoiled with gifts and the boys have been playing with them non stop since. After opening we skyped with Oma and Opa to thank them and the playing ensued. It was very nice just to have some time with just us, as that will be a rarity with all the cousins around in Montrose.

Snow!!!

It finally snowed some on the first day of Christmas break. It wasn't much, but at least we finally had some, as the weather has been in the 60's lately. The boys loved getting all their snow gear one and heading outside. They made snow angels, had a snow fight, and just drove things around in the snow. At one point Carter climbed up onto their picnic table. It was more than a little icy and he kept slipping off of it. However he thought it was hilarious and kept getting right back on it. I probably should have stopped it, but I was busy laughing with them and video taping him. No one got hurt and the boys had a blast. Hopefully we will get some more snow soon.

Christmas Program

On Thursday the boys had their Christmas program at school. They were at the same time in different rooms so Justin and I had to split up. Justin went to Tyler's with the still camera and took some video with that and I went to Carter's with the video camera so I don't have as many pictures of him. I am told Tyler did very well and he told me he had a lot of fun. After the program he gave Justin his gift, which was and angel made out of his foot and hand prints and some ornaments he made. Carter did very well also, but when it was time to sing his bell was stuck so he was more concerned about that than actually singing. He then gave me his gift, which was a ornament with his picture in it - very cute. I was very excited to see their programs as the boys wouldn't tell me what they had made or what they would sing as it was a secret. Both boys then sang happy birthday to Jesus with their class and had some birthday cake, along with lots of other good food. We are now on Christmas break until January 6th and everyday the boys ask me if they can go back to school yet.

Tongue

Nolan has found his tongue. He loves to make clicking noises with it and then play with it. Here is a short video of it on his changing table. You can see what he does in the beginning before he got tired. Carter wanted to help take the video as well.

Food!!!!!

Nolan got to try rice cereal for the first time today. It was quite the messy experience and the big boys thought it was hilarious how much he would spit out. However by then end of it he was opening his mouth for the spoon and had learned how to get it back in his mouth to swallow it. I think he even liked it. After a few days of this we will go to barley and then to oatmeal, which Carter is excited about. Carter loves oatmeal and thinks its neat that Nolan gets to eat baby oatmeal with him.

4 month check up

Nolan had his 4 month appointment today. It went well. The doctor was amazed at all the things that he can do, a lot of which she said were 6 month skills. She was impressed at how well he sits on his own, how he blows raspberries already, and how well he stands up. The development survey they made me do showed he was on track in all the areas. There is no more fluid in his testicles, and everything else seems perfect. Once again she and the nurse both commented on how strong and solid he was.  She did say we should let me fuss a little bit when he wakes up in the middle of the night - not let him cry it out, but give him a couple minutes to see if he will fall asleep. She said around 4 months they go through lighter sleep cycles about every 90-120 minutes and instead of just rolling over and going back to sleep they will wake up a little more and see if it gets them anything. Hopefully he will go back to sleep pretty quickly on his own and the waking up at night will be a thing of the past soon.  He got three shots today and only cried for a few seconds and then was fine. We also got the go ahead to start rice cereal. It has changed since Tyler and Carter started on solids. She wants him to try rice cereal for three days, then barley, then oatmeal. If all those seem to be ok with his tummy we can alternate between them for two feedings a day until 6 months. At that point we would start fruits and veggies. I am glad I asked and very glad for a healthy boy! His stats are weight - 14 lbs 10.5 oz, which is the 50th percentile (and also bigger than both Tyler and Carter were at 4 months), height is 24.5 inches, which is the 30th percentile, and his head circumference is in the 40th percentile.

Cookies and Fireman

We did our annual tradition of making Christmas cookies to hand out to the fireman. The boys did a great job of decorating them this year. As we were on our way to the fire station Carter, who was carrying the tin of cookies, dropped them on the garage floor. The boys were immediately upset. So we headed to the store, bought some cookies there, and headed to the station. As always the fireman were very gracious and let us look at the engines. Carter just helped himself and climbed into everything. Tyler was a little better and asked before climbing in. Its always a special treat to go by the fire house.

4 Months!!!

Nolan you are four months old!!! You roll from your front to back like a pro and are very close at going from your back to front. That pesky arm just gets in the way. You go to sleep at night relatively easily. You may cry for 10 minutes tops and then you are sound asleep. Which is pretty great since we can't swaddle you anymore. You go to bed around 7:30 at night, I feed you in your sleep at 10:30 and you wake up to be fed again around 6:30-7. Pretty good I say. You do wake up once or twice to get your pacifier back but those are becoming later and later each morning so hopefully you won't do that much longer. You are now eating 5-6 ounces every four hours. You usually take a good morning nap (if you are in your car seat) and then your afternoon naps are a little shorter and you have a harder time going down for them.

You love to laugh and smile! You are such a happy baby and very easy going. You love to play in your exersaucer, on your activity mat with your fish, and with the music toy Great Oma got Tyler many years ago. You also love to play the Bumble Bee tickling game and be sung too. Lately as soon as I start singing your song "Baby Mine" you start smiling and giggling. Which kind of defeats the purpose of you getting ready to fall asleep but its cute nonetheless. You love grabbing my hair and daddy's nose and you still love watching your brothers play. We can't imagine life without you at this point and can't wait to see what the next month and years bring! I love you Nolan Isaac!

Swimming Pro

He did it! Finally, on hie third try, Carter passed Pro I in swimming. Even though he missed two out of his five lessons his instructor said he was ready for the next level. I think she was surprised when I told her this was his third time taking it. For a special treat for the last class Carter got to go down the big water slide with the instructor. He didn't want to go at first and covered his eyes the entire time, but he did it and LOVED it. I asked him if he wanted to do swimming again and he said no. He wants to do soccer next. So it could be another year or two before he passes the next level, but at least level one is done!

Merry Christmas!

Hairy Toes

Its always something when you live in a house of boys. On Wednesday morning I was getting Nolan dressed when I noticed his toe was swollen and red and kind of purple in color. I called Justin up and we noticed that some of my hair was wrapped around his toe. At first Justin tried to cut it out, but that didn't work. Using a baby wipe he ended up getting about three pieces of hair from around it off, each about an inch and a half in length. We thought we had it all but wasn't sure. However Nolan's toe was now three times the size of the other ones and the color was getting worse. It was also cut up from the hair on the bottom of his toe and had some puss coming out of it. We called out doctor who told us they would squeeze us in. We all went and they saw Nolan right away. I am glad we went because after they looked at his toe under some magnifiers they saw some more hair wrapped around. They pulled another two inches of hair off. The doctor said it was the worse she had ever seen. Luckily his toe will now be fine and he is on antibiotics for infection. I guess I will be getting a haircut.

Something Significant for Christmas

Since we already did a toy drive this month we decided we would do something different instead of the Angel Trees for the kids to give at Christmas. We want the boys to know how blessed they are to get to live where they live. That around the world there are kids who don't even have water or food to eat, let alone any toys. Every year our church puts out a catalog called Something Significant for Christmas. In it are ways to give money to help mission groups and the needy all over the world. Tyler, our animal lover, wants to give baby chicks and goats for families so they can raise them  and then use the eggs and milk for money.  Carter wants to buy drinking water for a children for a whole year so that they can drink cold water like he loves to . We decided Nolan would give the gift of a hospital delivery for a mom in India. The boys are very excited about this. I am a little worried that since they aren't doing anything tangible (like actually handing out the gift) they wouldn't get it as much, but I think they do. I love that they each picked out something important to them as well.

Breakfast in Bethleham

Our church had a program called Breakfast in Bethlehem. All families were invited to come for a pancake breakfast and then watch a Christmas play. When we got there all the kids got a bag of goodies. Inside each bag were crafts for the kids to do and props that they would use for the play. Carter was somewhat cranky at first, but once he got over that both boys loved making their crafts and eating their pancakes. They also saw some friends from their classes at school so that was fun as well. One of Tyler's friends actually insisted on sitting by him during the play.
During the play the boys used their sheep puppets they made to be the sheep for the shepherds, the had angel halos for when the angels came,. crowns for the three kings and then had flashlight to show the kings how to get to baby Jesus. It was very fun and I hope they do it again next year - it would be a great tradition!

Christmas Time

We have been getting ready for Christmas around here! The boys insist on listening to Christmas music whenever we are in the car and can't wait to go look at all the Christmas lights. Since we will be in Montrose at Christmas we put up our artificial tree on Saturday after Thanksgiving. The boys had a great time seeing all their old ornaments and putting them up on the tree. The also enjoyed "helping" me decorate and seeing their stockings.

We also took out out advent calendar, which has some part of the Nativity in each box (a sheep, a star, Mary, etc). The boys love taking a piece out each day and placing it on the manger scene. At the Christmas program we went to we also made countdown chains to Christmas. Each piece of chain has a part of the story of Christ Birth on it. The boys have enjoyed listening to that as well everyday. Justin and I wrapped all the gifts and pout them under three. The boys are asking if everyday is Christmas so that they can open their gifts. I thought the countdown chain and their advent calendar would help with this, but I guess not. Either way its always fun to watch this time of year through their eyes.

Well, We Did It Again....

Another Pederson will be here! This one's due date will be August 15th, three days after Nolan turns one. Most likely the newest one will be here for his birthday - Irish Twins! I discovered on Sunday that we were expecting and my first appointment is the 14th. We will wait til at least that appointment before we will tell anyone.

Why this baby does come as surprise, we also see Tyler and Carter's relationship so we hope having two more as close will be a good thing.  And this way I won't be stressing trying to conceive my girl. Either way this will be our last baby so I am going to enjoy every minute of it.  Because of our history I am nervous, but we are very hopeful to be a family of 6 in 9 months!

Tyler's Prayer

A few nights ago Tyler was praying before bed. I was already excited because he wanted to pray on his own and didn't ask from my help at the beginning. His prayer went like this:

"Dear Lord, Thank you for my mommy because she gives the best hugs and has red hair like me. Thank you for my daddy because I am going to be just like him when I grow up."

Can't get much better than that.

House of Sickness

Since the Wednesday before Thanksgiving all of us have been sick at some point until today. Fun time I tell ya. We were suppose to go and enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner at Todd's house. However on Wednesday I was feeling bad and by Wednesday night I knew we couldn't make it. We called and canceled. This actually turned out to be a good thing as on Thursday Tyler and Carter both got sick. We laid low all weekend and it seemed that on Sunday night everyone was feeling well so we went to church/school on Monday.

About halfway through my work day , Carter was having some more symptoms so I had him be with me in the office for the rest of our time there. When we got home he seemed fine again, as he did Tuesday morning so I brought both boys to school and Nolan and I enjoyed a coffee date with a high school friend. As soon as we got home from school both boys started having symptoms again. So we stayed home Wednesday, as did Justin as he started feeling bad that night as well. On Wednesday night Carter got sick yet again so all the boys stayed home another day while I enjoyed MOPS. So far so good today. Everyone finally seems to be feeling all the way better. Thank goodness!!

Nolan is getting Big

Nolan is getting big right before our eyes. Not only can he roll from his tummy to his back,  he also can hold his head up high,

Plays so hard is his exersaucer that he falls asleep,

 and have his own baby friends.

 He still loves cuddling with his big brothers though. 

and the littlest one rolled over.....

Here is some video of Nolan's newest trick!

Thanksgiving Program Times 2

On Monday Tyler had his Thanksgiving program. I picked Carter up from Moms Morning Out as he insisted to go. Tyler was an Indian and sang along to the two songs they performed. They then enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving feast.  On Tuesday Carter had his and I picked Tyler up early from school as he insisted to go. Carter was a pilgrim and did very well too. Tyler had been in other singing programs before, but Carter really hadn't. For the first song he mainly just did the hand motions and then he sang along for the second song. He then enjoyed his Thanksgiving feast as well. I enjoyed both of my feasts as well. I will try to add video soon.

Carter's Funny Sayings

So every time we are in the car the boys ask to play Christmas music (there is a station that has been playing it non stop since the second week of November). Justin really doesn't like Christmas music so he usually tells the boys no. Carter asked if he didn't like Christmas music because it was too "Chrissy".

Carter likes to name things. But its how he does it that make me chuckle. His pumpkin was named "Pump", the yellow car he picked out is named "Yell", the porcupine on one of Nolan's shirt is names "pork". You get the idea.  

"Never do that again" is Carter's new favorite phrase. The best time he ever used it was at Tyler's wrestling practice. Tyler had an accident (which is unheard of for Tyler - still don't know what happened) and so that he could keep wrestling we were going to change him into the shorts he got for being in the club. However these are mesh shorts so he needed to wear underwear with them. We didn't have a spare pair with us so we had Carter take his off and let Tyler wear them. Carter did not like this at all and yelled in the bathroom "I  am NEVER going to share MY underwear AGAIN!!!". He is always making me laugh - love him.

This and That

Just some happenings around the Pederson house lately:

• Carter is taking swimming lessons again. For the third time he is taking Pro I (the lowest level) because before he wouldn't put his face in the water for more than 5 seconds. After his second class his teacher told us he is doing great and should be in Pro II next time - finally!! Unfortunately the place were we take their lessons will be closing in January because of city budget cuts - oh well.
• Nolan went on yet another feeding strike where he would only eat 2 ounces a bottle and would happily go 5-6 hours between feeding. We went back to the doctor and they put him on Prevacid. I am hoping this works, because with less eating comes not sleeping as long at night.
• Both Tyler and Carter had their dental appointments last week and both did great. They have great teeth with no cavities - always good news!
• I have been meaning to give an update on the bunk beds. Tyler still will not sleep on the top bunk. However, they are now happily sharing the bottom bunk and they go to bed and stay in bed just fine. I think this has more to do with the fact that they no longer take naps than anything else. 
• I have started the process of looking into Kindergartens for Tyler next fall. It makes me very sad to do this - I can't believe he is already so big.
• Nolan now plays in his exersaucer. He doesn't like to be in it longer than 10 minutes or so but he is happy in it why I make breakfast or dinner. 
• We cleaned out the downstairs family room of all Tyler and Carter's little toys and put them in their bedroom. So far I must say they are doing a very good job of cleaning up and keeping it pretty neat. They are also doing a good job of keeping the little toys out of the rooms that Nolan is in (I am trying to train them early before it comes an issue). Now the family room is filled with baby toys. So far Tyler and Carter are enjoying all the "new" toys.  
• The boys went out and used some of their chore money to buy toys for kids who don't have any. We then dropped the toys off at a toy drive. I am hoping by them using their own money and picking out the gift themselves they will get the purpose of it a little more. They also got to use some money to buy themselves a toy as well. The rest of it will be going into savings. I must say they both have collected a pretty nice amount.
• Between the boys school, church, wrestling, swimming, going to the doctor for Nolan, and everything else I feel like we are constantly going somewhere. Hopefully over Thanksgiving break we will have more time to do some fun things and more things for me to blog about!

Three Months!

On Friday Nolan you turned three months! It was a month full of firsts for you from your first laugh, to your first ambulance ride and hospital stay to your first flight on the plane. You are such a happy baby, always smiling and talking to us. You love just to lay on the floor and look around. Your biggest source of entertainment is you brothers who can make you laugh better than anyone else. You have started grabbing toys and you have found our hands and love to suck on them. When you put your hands together your brothers like to say you are praying.

Nolan you are sleeping well again! You usually fall asleep for the night around 8:30 and don't wake up again for a feeding until 6:30. You will however wake up once or twice to be re-swaddled or for you plug. We also try to dream feed you around 10:30 every night, but you usually don't eat much.  We still feed you about every 3 hours or so  and you will take anywhere from 3 to 5 ounces. While you don't like having to take your Zantac for you reflux it has helped a lot and you are not nearly as fussy. We love watching you grow Nolan and your smiles still take my breath away at how wonderful they are. We can't wait to see you even get bigger and your personality come out more!

Cuddle Brothers

Not only are Tyler and Carter great brothers to each other, they still are totally in love with Nolan. They love to make him laugh and smile and try to play with him. Tyler is always giving him hugs and kisses and Carter always wants to hold him. Here is a cute picture of Carter and Nolan taking a nap together.

Golden Rule

There is nothing I love seeing more than watching Tyler and Carter be such great brothers to each other. Justin and I are trying to make concentrated efforts on taking them out just one one one with us. Justin had to run to the store so he took Carter along with him. The boys favorite thing about going to the grocery store is that they get a free cookie. On the way out of the store Carter mentioned that they should have gotten a cookie for Tyler since he didn't go. He then came up with the idea that Tyler could have a pumpkin cookie at home instead. When he came home he went and got his brother a cookie.

Last weekend while I was at swimming with Carter, Justin took Nolan and Tyler to Walmart to get things for our monthly potluck. As they were checking out Tyler saw some Hot Wheels. He just picked one up and showed it to Justin. Since Tyler behaved so well in the store he told Tyler he could pick on out. Tyler then asked if he could get one for Carter as well. Love my sweet boys!

First Flight

Last Saturday we got news that my Uncle Steve had passed away. Thanks to Oma and Opa, Nolan and I were able to go out for the services.Nana came in on Tuesday night to help out with Tyler and Carter and on Wednesday Justin and I got up very early to make our 6 a.m. flight in Denver. Nolan did great on the flights! On both flights on the way there the planes were only half full so he was able to stay in his car seat. The first flight he slept the majority of the time and the second flight we was awake but happy. Once we got there we were picked up by Oma and Nolan was very happy to show off his smiles. From there we went to the dinner with my other uncles and then the visitation and rosary. Nolan was a little fussy but went to sleep while people talked about Uncle Steve, so at least he knew when to be good. Nolan slept well in the hotel room which I was very happy about. On Thursday morning Nolan and I both slept in a little and then went to the service. Once again Nolan did great and slept thru the entire thing not making a sound. He then got fussy at the luncheon, but after a nice nap in the hotel room he was his happy self again.

From there we went over to Flint to see Great Oma. Nolan once again showed off his smiles. We met up with My Aunt Janet, Uncle Amos and my mom's cousin Paula as well for dinner. It was great to catch up with everyone. On Friday we went over to my Aunt Paulette's house so we could spend more time with her and my cousins. Even though it was for a horrible reason I am so thankful Nolan and I got to go and spend time with my family during this time and remember my Uncle. Nolan did awesome once again on the flight home. He again had his own seat and slept the whole time despite it leaving an hour late. Justin picked us up at the airport and we came home where I was excited to see my big boys. I am told they did very well for Nana, who I am also thankful for her coming so Justin could still go to work while I was gone. They went to school as usual and did lots of puzzles and games. Tyler also showed off at wrestling for Nana. Always happy to hear that they behaved themselves!

Ute Valley Park

Last weekend we went on a hike at Ute Valley Park. Tyler and Carter had a blast walking on the trail and finding rocks. Carter really enjoyed the views saying "wow, look at that!" around every bend. Tyler liked leading us and practicing his left and right. He also had to step on every rock we went by. Nolan enjoyed being carried by me in the front pack and by daddy when he got tired of that.  Justin and I really liked this park as well for hikes so I am sure we will go again soon.

Check Ups

Tyler and Carter both had their annual check ups yesterday. I think in the future I will have them on different days as trying to fill out all the paperwork and their developmental questionnaires for both of them at the same time was a little crazy. I was filling out Carter's while talking to the doctor about Tyler.

Tyler weighs in at 35 lbs, which is the 10th percentile. He is now 42 inches tall, which is the 40th percentile and has a bmi in the 5th percentile. He went down in percentile but since he at least gained so the doctor wasn't worried. Tyler is still behind in gross motor skills, but at this point we are not going to worry about it. He can't skip yet, hop on one leg for both legs (he can do one the right leg), and doesn't always catch a ball.  However, since we held him back a year from kindergarten most likely he will be at the same level as all the other kids in his class anyway. He passed his hearing test 100% which was music to my ears as well. The only concern was his circumcision. She wants to refer us to an urologist and he may have to have the top part of it redone. I guess a lot of the skin grew back.

Carter also weighs in right at 35 lbs, which is the 50th percentile for his age. He is 39 and 3/4 inches and had a bmi in the 50th percentile. I was very happy to see that go down from the 85 percentile last year. He also passed his hearing test 100%. There were no issues for Carter at all except that he has dry skin and that he had to get shots. I was relieved that it was Carter getting the shots and not Tyler as Tyler was acting afraid of them all morning. Carter was just fine with getting them, until he got them. Then the screaming started and the "I am never going to do this again!". The nurse found that quite humorous. He continued the shot drama all the way up til bedtime where he declared he couldn't walk because of his shots and crawled every where, crying the entire time. With the drama this one creates, maybe I don't need a little girl after all.

Overall I am so happy that we are blessed with such healthy boys!

Costumes

So I realize you can't really see the boys costumes in the other posts, so here ya go!

and yes Tyler had to pose like a police officer!

Happy Halloween!

We had a fun, relaxing halloween around here. Instead of trick or treating at night, we decided we would go down to Old Colorado City instead. That way they could trick or treat during the day at the stores where its a lot safer, a lot warmer, and we can still go to bed on time. All pros to me! It was also a lot less crowded this year which was very nice. Tyler was a little upset we weren't going out at night, but got over it pretty quickly. While we were trick or treating Tyler didn't seem to enjoy it that much, although whenever we asked he said he was having fun. Eventually he said he was tired and wanted to go home. As soon as we were in the car however he was fine again. I am not sure what that was all about. Carter did a great job of saying trick or treat and thank you to everyone nice and loud. This was a great turnaround from the kid who was crying about having to put his costume on and go as we were trying to leave. Nolan got a lot of "awws" while he slept in the stroller in his bear costume.

Pumpkin Party

On Thursday the big boys had their pumpkin parties at school. For Carter's parents were allowed to come, while Tyler's was a little more low key and parents were invited to come for the last 10 minutes or so for pictures. This worked perfect for me as this way I wouldn't have to run back and forth between the two parties. They both wore their costumes to school (Carter is a zoo keeper and Tyler is a police officer) and their classes had a parade around the church. They then went to chapel to hear a Christian story about pumpkin and then had their parties. I met up with Carter's class at this time, along with Nolan who wore his bear costume for the event. The kids payed a few games and then decorated cookies. As soon as Carter was done with his cookie he wanted to go to Tyler's class. We went to Tyler's class where they were finishing up their cookies as well. I took a few pictures and then school was done. Both boys said they had a very fun day.

Rasslin'

Last week we signed Tyler up for wrestling. He was very excited and has enjoyed it a lot so far. There are 4 or 5 other kids about his age and weight that he practices with. Right now we aren't planning on putting him in any tournaments or anything - just letting him go to practice two nights a week. He is the least experienced there, but we have to start somewhere. At practice they stretch and warm up, then a a learn a few moves and then they play a from of dodge ball. This is Tyler's favorite part. The kids run across the mat while the coaches throw balls at them and the kids try to avoid being hit. So far Tyler has been really good about only wrestling at practice,and not at school.  Hopefully this, and his excitement for the sport, will continue. (Sorry for the blurry picture, Tyler is in the orange shirt and grey pants).

Nolan Talking

Nolan is smiling and talking all the time now. This is such a fun age! We even got out first laugh out of him last Sunday. Enjoy the video!

Celebration!

Since Nolan was in the hospital the morning of his birthday, we didn't get to do all the things we would have done for Carter's birthday. Instead once we were all home (and Justin ran to the store to buy them) Carter got to open his presents. He loved the race track we got him and the poster he gets to color from Nolan. He also like the Handy Manny workshop Tyler picked out for him.  We would have gone out to dinner for him, but we didn't want Nolan around people so I asked Carter what he wanted me to make instead. At first he wanted lasagna, but when Tyler complained he changed it to sausage and macaroni and cheese (he is always thinking of others). We finally did go out to eat at Red Robin on Thursday night. He loved getting sung to, but loved the ice cream even more. On Saturday he chose to go bowling as his special activity. After bowling 3 frames he decided it was boring and then just ran around the bowling alley. At one point he laid down under the table and declared he would take a nap. Tyler had fun at least. He then bowled his last frame of the game. He should have gotten to eat his Lightening McQueen cake that Justin made for him, but because of behavior issues that got taken away last night. Hopefully today he can enjoy his cake. While he didn't get to have a normal birthday he was very gracious and never complained. I felt bad about it, but Carter didn't seem to mind. Such a wonderful boy he is!!!

Parent Teacher Conferences

On Thursday both boys had conferences at school. Since I go to MOPS on Thursdays now I dropped them off at their class and Nolan and I went to talk to their teachers. First up was Tyler's teacher. She usually tells me everyday how he is doing, so I was pretty sure what I was going to hear from her. He is doing great! He is really coming out of his shell and is playing with other students. He shares in class and participates in all the activities. The only issue that comes up is sometimes he starts wrestling when he doesn't have something to do. However as soon as he suggests that he does something, like go play with the blocks, he is fine. As long as Tyler has structure and knows what he should be doing there are never any issues. Academically he is doing great as well. They are graded on each skill with a 1, 2, or 3. A 1 is he is not doing it yet, a 3 is he does it all the time and a 2 is progressing. The goal is to have all 3's by the end of the year. Right now he has mostly 3's! We need to work on his rhyming (he still does the first letter sounds, like moon and man), writing all his letters correctly, skipping, doing longer patterns, knowing his numbers, and knowing our phone number. I think he will be fine by the end of the year!

Up next was Carter's teacher. I wasn't as sure about this one, as at the end of every day all I hear was that he did great. I wasn't worried about the social or the following directions part at all and I shouldn't be as he got all 3's in those areas. I was more worried about the academic side, as I don't work with Carter as much as I worked with Tyler in those areas (I guess that's what happens when your the second child). But he is doing pretty well in those areas as well! I need to work on patterns with him, sorting things by size, drawing his shapes, galloping, and knowing more of his letters. His teacher told me that he is very kind in class and plays with all the other children  and that he loves the messy crafts (no surprise there) and he is very interested in learning. All music to my ears!!!

Both boys were also asked questions regarding their spiritual development. Both boys did very well in these areas as well. Some of their answers made me chuckle however. When asked where he could pray Carter answered "in the car, and in my bed, and when I see animals". When asked what things God made he answered " people, houses, and animals", I guess that covers everything! Tyler did well too, but I need to work on him that God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Besides that he answered all the questions right. I love that they are learning and growing spiritually at school as well as academically.

Croup, Ambulance Ride, Hospital Stay, Oh My!

This fun story starts on Monday morning while I was at work. I went to check on Nolan and saw that he was fussy and was sounding hoarse (like Carter was the week before). He also had a slight cough and just didn't look good. So I picked up Tyler and Carter, called the pediatrician and went home. We went to the doctor for his 3:00 appointment. The doctor said most babies this age don't get croup, and why he had something, he wasn't sure he wanted to treat it for steroids at his point and to just keep an eye on him. He showed me what to look for if he was having problems breathing (contracting right below the neck since he is trying to suck in air) and to look out for a fever. If he had either of these I was suppose to bring him back in. This doctor also thought it sounded like he had reflux so he gave me a prescription for Zantac if we decide we want to try it.

That evening we ran some errands so Carter could get cupcakes to bring to his class the next day and so that Tyler could pick out his present. Nolan seemed his normal self during this whole process, maybe a little more congested than usual. As we were getting Nolan ready for bed after his 8:30 feeding I noticed his breathing was a lot worse. He also felt warm to me. He had a temperature of 100.4, so a very low fever. His breathing didn't see to get any better and he was now developing a cough that sounded bad so I called the pediatrician. The triage nurse told me to just go to the e.r., so at 9:30 we headed over there.

When you have a 9 week old you don't have to wait to long at the e.r.. We were back in the triage room within 15 minutes. From there they took his temperature which was now at 100.9, gave him some tylenol and sent him off to x-rays for a chest x-ray. From there it was straight to a room. I must say all the nurses there were great with Nolan. Either a nurse was with me or a respiratory therapist the whole time. Now Nolan didn't like me holding him up for the chest x-ray, but things just went downhill from there. After that they had to check him for rsv, which meant putting a tube down his nose to suck out boogers, drew some blood, put an iv in for fluids and antibiotics and put a catheter in to check for a bladder infection. He did pretty well, and I could get him to settle down fairly quickly after each procedure was over at least. The doctor on call came in and told me they were going to admit us. Because his airway is so small they wanted to make sure his breathing was better before sending us home.

Lucky for Nolan, the hospital we went to doesn't have a peds floor so we had to go to the other hospital, which meant an ambulance ride. While we were waiting for the ambulance, he got a breathing treatment done, which he slept though and didn't mind at all. They also gave him some steroids before we left for the hospital. The ambulance guys were great. Nolan rode in his carseat strapped to the stretcher the way there and I got to sit in the back with him. They were playful and talking to him and he even started smiling some for them. When we got to the second hospital our room was ready for us, with the breathing treatment already set up (I gave Nolan his breathing treatments on the ride). They showed me where everything was, gave me some formula to feed him with, hooked him up to all the monitors, and we tried to get some sleep (it was around 2 am at this point).

To my surprise Nolan slept pretty well and woke up around 6. I slept pretty well on the little couch in the room all things considering. When I went to the e.r. I brought our van. So at this point Justin was home with Tyler and Carter (who was suppose to celebrate his birthday at school) with no carseats to get them anywhere. Leah was nice enough to go and get our van for us so Justin could take the boys to school and then come to the hospital.

That morning Nolan was sounding a little better, but still had a horrible cough. They gave him another dose of steroids and he pretty much slept all morning. Around 10 the doctor came in and saw him and with the second dose of steroids he was doing a lot better, only sounding bad when he got upset. The doctor told us we could go home and gave us instructions that we would have to come back to the e.r. if his breathing got bad again or if his temp went above 101, or we could stay another night. We decided we would go home, being that he was sounding better and smiling and cooing at this point. She gave us a prescription to continue the steroids at home as well.  It took a while to get all the paperwork and stuff, but around noon we got to leave to go home. This actually worked out great as that right when Justin was getting back from picking up the boys from school.

The rest of the day Nolan kept sounding better, eating better, and getting his color back. I was pretty nervous about the night so we had him in our room with us. He did great however! We fed him in his sleep around 10:15 and he didn't wake up until 5:45 and then feel back asleep til 7:30! He sounds and looks so much better today. When he coughs it still sounds a little congested, but he is breathing totally fine. I am so glad it wasn't any worse than what it was. I am glad he got admitted as I think that was the best thing to do at the time, but I hope we don't have to have another one of those nights for a very long time.  The first picture is of Nolan right after we were admitted to the hospital, the second picture is the next morning waiting to go home.

Carter's 4th Birthday Montage

Happy Birthday Carter!!

Carter James, Happy 4th Birthday!!!! It has been a great year and we have loved watching you grow up. You have had many first this past year - your first day of school, your first lessons all by yourself, and you became a big brother. I must say you did all of them wonderfully.

You are Mr Social, making friends very easily. We will go on walks around the neighborhood and you will say hi to everyone you meet. You will then say "those are my friends." You would rather be around people than playing with toys. You also say the funniest things and have very cute sayings. Its usually not what you say, but how you say that puts your dad and I in stitches. Such as when we drove by a full parking lot, out of the back seat from you comes " WOW! That IS a lot of PEOPLE!". Or when we go to the zoo and you can see the whole city you say "I can see the WHOLE WIDE WORLD from HERE!" You are also very complimentary. You will be the first to tell me that I look "beautiful" or that you think my shirt or shoes are pretty.

Along those lines you have such a big heart for others. You don't like it when others are upset and will go out of your way to help them feel better. Your big brother is usually the recipient of your kindness. If he has a toy or something you want, you will gladly give it to him to make him happy. You will be the first to share your food,, favorite shirt, or whatever else if someone just mentions they would like it. You have also recently started telling others when they are in the wrong. Because you aren't afraid to talk to anyone, when another kid cuts in line, or takes a toy you let them know they are wrong and to do the right thing.

You have some of the best fine motor skills I have seen in someone your age. You already color in the lines of pictures and you copy letters almost perfectly. You like to say that you are my little artist. You are doing great in your first year of school and your teachers only compliment on what a great kid you are. You also are a very fast runner, and you love to run, as long as there is a race involved.  You did great having swimming lessons this year without Tyler there in class with you. But your favorite thing to do is play with Tyler. You guys come up with such great stories and most of the time play so well together. Just recently your imagination has started flourishing when you play by yourself as well. You are usually playing superheros where someone comes in and "Saves the Day!".

You have become such a great big brother and you take such pride in Nolan. I love watching you take on this role. You love to show him off to everyone and you love to help me take care of him. You also love to give him hugs and kisses and to get your picture taken with him (one of the few times I can count on you smiling for the camera is if you are with Nolan).

We love your sweet heart Carter and your funny sayings and your big personality. They all make you who you are and we wouldn't change a thing. We can't wait to see what this year brings. I love you my Carter Bear!

Zoo!!

Last weekend the weather was beautiful so we took a family trip to the zoo. Once again we all had a blast. The boys got to feed the giraffes, feed the birds, ride the train and the carousel and watch the bears eat. Nolan enjoyed sleeping in his stroller. Here are some pictures from our latest zoo trip.

Two Month Check-up

On Thursday, when Nolan was right at 9 weeks, he had his two month check-up. I was very curious at what his weight would be and I was amazed when he came in at 12 lbs 4 oz (70th percentile)! He is measuring at 22.5 inches (50th percentile) and his head circumference is also in the 50th percentile. They don't think Nolan has reflux, because he is gaining weight and hardly spits up. The doctor thinks it may just be him and he doesn't eat much. They aren't worried that he isn't sleeping for very long stretches at night at this point either. If he continues to get fussier and starts eating less I am suppose to bring him in. The doctor also found that he has a little fluid in his testicles, but she assumes that will clear up in 6-9 months on its own.  He is a little behind on communication according to the assessment they use, but she thinks its an advanced assessment and he will be all caught up by 4 month (they asked if he was already laughing). Besides that he is perfect. She was amazed at how well he stands and sits up already. We go back in two months and then he will start solid foods.

Two Months

One Tuesday Nolan turned two months old. I can't believe its already been two months! He is doing well, smiling more and more everyday. He has also started making ohh and ahh noised and I think he is pretty close to his first laugh. He loves to stand up or sit straight up (he already has excellent posture). He also loves to be in the swing, as long as he is in the right mood. Nolan doesn't love tummy time, but tolerates it more and more. He started liking baths more and also started batting toys above him.  He seems to be fussier more this month and we are trying to figure out why that is. He isn't drinking as much and once he hits 3 ounces or so he thinks he is done and then fusses if you try to get him to drink even a little more.  I am not sure if its reflux, or because we had to change formula (his was recalled) or what. Because of this he is no longer sleeping very long at night. He usually goes 4 hours now. However when he is fussy its pretty easy to clam him down. He loves to be upright and getting his little bottom patted. He had his first few days in the church nursery with me and did very well. He must like all the activity there as he doesn't seem to nap for very long. Overall he is a very happy baby and we couldn't be happier to have him! 

Pumpkin Patch

We had a great time as always at the pumpkin patch. Tyler and Carter ran from pumpkin to pumpkin to find their perfect one, which they found pretty quickly. It was fun with Noah there as well, as he would find one, but then find another one he wanted instead. Finally they had all decided on a pumpkin and one for Nolan too. Of course their favorite part were the tractor rides to the patch and back. Always a fun time!!