More Oma and Opa Time

On Monday the boys got some more Oma and Opa time. Along with Josiah they all went to see the Muppets movie. Both boys gave it good reviews and thought it was very funny. On Tuesday they came over and we went to the mall to play. After some lunch Oma and Opa took the big boys bowling on the Academy. They both had a fun time an then they drove around seeing where I grew up. They ended up at the Field House and actually got to see the Air Force hockey team practice - very fun.  On the way home I guess they had a pretty cute conversation. They were talking about when they grow up how they want to play football at the Academy and how they could be on the same team. Oma and Opa said they would go to their games and watch them play. Carter responded "I have some bad news guys, I got some bad news. You guys are kinda old so you will probably die and then you can't watch us".  That night Oma and Opa came over again so that Justin and I could go out for his birthday. They had pizza, did some fun crafts, played games and just had a great night. We will all miss them and can't wait to see them in April!

Christmas Pictures

Just a few more pictures from Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Enjoy!

Favorite Things

A couple favorite things - Nolan is loving to give hugs. He comes up and gives me hugs multiple times a day. When he hugs he makes a little "mmm" sound and pats my back. He has also started giving Olivia hugs and it is SO sweet.

On Christmas Eve we had pigs in a blanket for part of our appetizer dinner. Carter called them "Baby Jesus in a blanket".

Big Mess

This is what happens when the 16 month old can get into the fridge and get his own yogurt while his mommy is feeding the little sister. This is also why we now have refrigerator locks.

Luckily he is really cute

Christmas

On Christmas Eve Oma and Opa came over and then we all headed to church for the Christmas Eve service. The big boys joined us for the service and they did pretty well. One baby was getting baptized and when they asked the congregation if we would help teach the baby about the Lord  and if so say we do, Carter very loudly said "we do".  He also answered the Pastor's question to "are we alone or with God" with "with God". We came home to have some appetizers and watch Polar Express.  On Christmas morning, the boys woke up at 5:15, but we made them hold off until about 8:30 when Oma and Opa made it over. We had some cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then opened gifts. Like usual everyone was given way to much. The rest of the day was spent with the boys doing legos and finishing up with a nice Christmas dinner. It was a very nice Christmas day.

Week with Oma and Opa

We had a good week leading up to Christmas. On Monday we didn't do much to make sure everyone was feeling ok. Tuesday brought swimming lessons for both boys and Opa came over to watch Nolan and Olivia for me. Olivia got overtired though and was pretty cranky for Opa. That night both Oma and Opa came over for dinner. Wednesday, Justin was off so we had a nice family day and I got a much needed Girls Night and we also got snow! So on Thursday the boys played in the snow and we had a cozy day at home. Friday Oma came over and watched Nolan and  Livi during swimming lessons and then we ran some errands. On Friday night we had a babysitter come over and we had a very nice adult dinner with my parents and siblings at Craftwood Inn. We try to do this every year when we are all together and it is always a fantastic time. I was taken back this week at how blessed we are and what a great family I have.

Christmas with the Cousins

Oma and Opa got her on Saturday afternoon and came over to say hello. Unfortunately Carter got sick the morning so we ate some pizza quick and then they headed to their hotel. On Sunday we were suppose to go over to Todd and Jessie's house to see both Uncle Todd, Uncle BJ and all of their families along with Oma and Opa. Nolan got sick in the middle of the night however so we weren't sure what to do. In the end all the kids seemed to be acting fine so we headed over praying no one else would get sick. We had a great time. All the cousins played well together, the adults got to play some password, we ate a lot, the kids made gingerbread houses and we opened gifts. It was a great time and I know a lot of great memories were made. And no one got sick while we were there (Tyler got sick Sunday night).

Christmas Program

Carter had a Christmas program for his class along with a party. It was also pajama day, so he was super excited to wear his pj's to school. I was excited that I didn't have to fight with him to wear something nice for his program. He was very excited to have Nolan in his class and had Nolan sit with him while his teacher read a story. Then the class sang a couple songs and gave the parents the gifts they made. Carter made Justin and I an ornament. Then they gave their gifts to baby Jesus, which will be donated to a pregnancy center and finally it was time to decorate cookies and do some crafts. It was a very nice party and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun. However I must say its was a little difficult to be present and involved with what Carter was doing, watch Nolan from destroying the classroom, watch Olivia (who mostly stayed in her car seat) and socialize with parents all at the same time. I told Justin he would be joining me from now on to these things.

Cereal

We have started Livi n cereal. First we did the rice cereal, then oatmeal (and I accidentally gave her oatmeal with bananas, but no issues so all is good) and then barley. She likes the oatmeal the best. However she still spits most of it out. I am not sure if this is because she just isn't quite ready for it yet or if its because I am not that consistent with her about it. I am still trying to figure out the best time to feed her everyday with all the running around we do. She has adapted to her 4 hour bottle schedule quite well at least and is getting 6 oz of formula at every feeding. Hopefully we can get into a routine soon and she can start eating solids more regularly.

4 Month Check-Up

Olivia had her 4 month check up on Wednesday. She is weighing in at 13 lbs 11 oz and is 25 inches tall. That puts her right at 50th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height.  Developmentally she is doing great as well, and is a little advanced in some areas. She does have a little labia adhesion that we need to put some medicine on to fix, but not a big deal and should be cleared up in a week or so. She had to get three shots, and just like last time did not like them at all.  By the time we were home though she was just fine. We also got the go ahead to start cereal and I am going to start putting her on a four eating schedule instead of the three hour one she is ow. So thankful to have a healthy baby girl!

4 months

On Sunday, Olivia turned 4 months old. It is going by so fast. She is still a super easy baby and loves to smile and laugh. And boy does she talk. I always thought my boys were pretty vocal at this point, but mane she is hardly ever quiet. She has also learned to blow raspberries. Always a fun thing. She also has no qualms to let you know when she wants some attention. If you haven't held her for a while or left her in the swing for too long she will start squealing out. I guess she already know that if you are 1 of 4 kids you have to make yourself heard.  She now sleeps unswaddled as she rolls onto her tummy as soon as you put her on her back. However she loses her pacifier or starts playing around some so its a little harder for her to fall asleep now. If we wait to long and she gets overtired she really has a hard time. Its really the only time she gets fussy though so I can't complain. She loves her big brothers, always smiling when they come by. She has started grabbing and holding toys and is pretty good at pulling her plug out of her mouth. She is working on getting it back in. Olivia is also more sensitive than the boys were. She doesn't like it if someone speaks to loud around her or if she gets knocked in the head by something (the boys wold usually giggle if this happened). So fun to watch her grow and see how already she has a little personality that's completely different than we are used to.

Nolan and Livi

Everyday Nolan gets more and more interested in Olivia. He will come over to her swing and talk to her and try to give her her plug. He also seems to know which ones are hers and which ones are his, as he will bring me her pacifiers when he finds them on the floor. I had them both in my lap the other day and Nolan would just bend over and get right in her face and talk to her. When she is on her mat playing, he will come over and play next to her. It was very cute. He also pets he hair. Of course he has also hit her a couple of times trying to give her high fives and has stepped on her a few times. I can't wait to watch their relationship grow over the years.

Daddy Weekend

Last weekend I went on a Moms Weekend Away with my Mops group. It was a wonderful weekend where I made a lot of new friends, had friendships grow, and laughed a lot. Justin was home by himself with all 4 kids. I was never really worried and didn't need to be, he did great. They took quite a few trips to stores, wrestled around, and even made me a chocolate cake for when I got home. The boys said they had fun with just daddy time and I am glad they got to spend a weekend with just him. It so nice that I have a husband that encourages me to get away and have a break when he works so hard himself. I love you Justin.

Outside Time

The weather has been quite nice lately, which means more outside time. Nolan loves just to sit and watch his brothers play. Until they get on the trampoline and then he wants to join in. I have had a few scary moments with him just standing on a couple cinder blocks. Luckily he has yet to fall on them.  Tyler and Carter also love playing outside. Tyler is usually found throwing a football around. Carter loves to build things and usually Tyler will join in. One day they made a whole beaver dam, complete with a clubhouse, pool, and garage. IN the pictures Tyler was pretending to be a cheetah and Carter was the zoo keeper taking him to his new cage. Love how well they still play together!

Thanksgiving

We had a very nice, low key Thanksgiving at home with just us. We started off the day with the big boys running a 1 k Turkey Trot at the Y. We got there just as they were ending, but since we weren't the only late ones they ran a second race. The boys did a great job and were both very tired at the end of it. Of course they loved the ribbons they got. We then came home, watched some football, at some yummy chicken  (turkey would be to big) and I made my first pumpkin pie which Justin and the boys said was great. On Friday the boys and I decorated the house. Now we are trying to keep Nolan away from the tree. We have so much to be blessed and thankful for with the number one thing being our family. So glad we got to spend it together and just enjoy some great family time.

Thanksgiving Feast

Carter had his Thanksgiving feast for his school. They performed two songs for us and and then we all got to eat some yummy food. It was kind of crazy tyring to get the food with just me there with three kids. I actually had Carter watch Nolan and Olivia while I waited in line, luckily he did a great job holding down our table. He was very cute performing as well, waving to me from the stage and asking where Olivia was (he couldn't see her in her stroller).  Tyler also had a little thing at school for just his class. He got to bring a snack for a friend and they shared it together. Tyler was sad he didn't get to pick his friend, but was happy they each brought fruit snack to share. Its odd having the boys doing two separate things when I am so used to them doing the same things, but I know its good for both of them.

15 month check up

A week after the big boy check ups, Nolan had his 15 month check up. He is weighing in right over 20 lbs and for the life of me I can't remember his height. They don't write them down for me anymore with the electron records either. I do know he is 10th percentile for weight and 50th percentile for weight and head circumference. She was happy that his weight didn't drop anymore. He seems perfectly healthy and her only concern is his speech. Even though the district didn't want him evaluated til March again she wants us to do it sooner than that. Her hope is that he won't be delayed by the time he is 2 if we start working with him now. So in the next couple of weeks he will be getting reevaluated. I am pretty confident he will qualify this time. He had to get two shots, but he handled them pretty well.  Just glad he is happy and healthy!

Check ups

Well this happened almost a month ago at this point, but that's what happens when you have 4 kiddos. Tyler and Carter had their 5 and 6 year check-ups. Like usual they are both doing just great and seem very healthy. They weigh they exact same (Carter maybe be .2 lbs more) at right under 40 lbs. Tyler is measuring in at 46 inches and Carter at 43 inches.  Like at school,  Tyler failed his hearing test again. He goes in for another test next week and then we will go from there. The doctor is troubled because last time he was failing them it was his right ear and now its his left. There seems to be no fluid and he seems to hear fine (he is in the top reading group).   Both of their eye sights and blood pressure and bmi's are just perfect as well. The boys were happy to hear no more shots until they are 11and I am happy for healthy boys!

Swimming

We are trying our hand at swimming once again.  I got a good deal on private lessons for Tyler so we bought him 3. After those 3 lessons we already saw an improvement so we decided to bite the bullet and buy 10 lessons for both Tyler and Carter. Carter is doing great and can practically swim the length of the pool already. These aren't like normal swim lessons. They first teach how to survive n the water if a child fell n and then work on proper stroke and breathing technique. While Tyler is much more comfortable in the water than he used to be, he is still afraid to do much on his own. After the 10 lessons the owner thought they both should be farther along and gave us 2 more free lessons with her for free. So on their Christmas break they will be going four days in a row. Hopefully this will do the trick and we can enjoy some time in the pool in the spring.

3 Months!!!

On the 4th Little Livi, you turned 3 months. I can't believe how fast its going! You are getting so big right before  our eyes. You are still super easy and hardly ever fuss or cry. You are happy to take naps anywhere, but I know that wont last and need you to start sleeping in your crib now. You are now sleeping in your room you share with Nolan. Occasionally you wake up in the middle of the night and we bring you back to our room so you won't wake your brother, but you always just fall back asleep. You still go 11-7 every night and you drink 4-5 ounces every 3 hours or so. You love to talk all the time and so far daddy is the one who can always make you giggle the most. You are already starting to roll over! You roll from your tummy to your back no problem and are so close to rolling onto your tummy. You love to watch your brothers and always smile when they come near. You have started grabbing my hair when I feed you and you also love to hold onto a finger, which we don't mind at all. We love you Livi Joy and can't imagine our life without our little girl.

Outside Time

Now that Nolan is walking better with his shoes on, I let him play outside with his brothers more. He LOVES this and wishes I would let him out all day long. The boys have been pretty good playing with Nolan as well. They other day they put him in their dump truck and drove him around the yard. He didn't even mind when they dumped him out. Fun times!

Snow!

A couple weeks ago we had our first snow of the year. While Tyler was at school, Carter and Nolan went a played. This was Nola's first time in the snow, and while he was excited he was outside, he wasn't so sure of this cold stuff. We only stayed out a for a few minutes. Then he just started out the window watching his brother continue to play out all day.

Pumpkins

Way behind once again....Because it was so cold at the pumpkin patch, Oma and I went back to the car while daddy, Opa, and the big boys picked out the pumpkins. Which meant I didn't get any pictures. So I took some of Olivia and Nolan with the pumpkins on our porch. Here they are.

Halloween

We had a very busy Halloween, with lots of wearing of the costumes. Carter had his Halloween party at school the Thursday before. Tyler happened to be off of school that day, so he got to join in as well. I also had Nolan and Livi in their costumes too. They boys had a blast decorating cookies and Carter enjoyed trick or treating around the church. On Saturday we had a friends birthday party which was Halloween themed. The kids even got to tick or treat around the house - very fun.  Then on Halloween day, Tyler had his Halloween party and got to wear his costume to school. They did a parade around the school as well, but I missed getting to see that. Carter, Nolan, Livi and I then joined him in the afternoon for his class party (in costume). I guess they snag a couple songs, but I missed it. They had fun eating lots of food though and Carter always just joins in like its his class. Tyler loves showing off Nolan and Livi to his friends.  Halloween night we actually took them trick or treating around our neighborhood. I must say Nolan was just adorable toddling around. The boys did well saying trick or treat an remembering to day thank you. After about 10 houses we came home and let the boys hand out the candy. They were more excited about this part. They sat on our porch yelling to anyone who passed by "we have candy!!!". Glad to see they were just excited to give out candy than to eat all theirs. Also glad that all the Halloween candy is now gone.

Conferences

The past couple weeks both of the boys had their school conferences and they are both doing great! I had Carter's first and his teacher just loves him. She is very impressed with his fine motor skills and that he knows all his letters and most of his sounds already. She says he is happy to play with everybody in the class and lives life like it his to live. I thought that was a pretty good assessment of him. There a few things to work on, like skipping and some of his numbers, but I think he will do great this year and be ready for Kindergarten next year. Couldn't be prouder of him!
I had Tyler's on Thursday. He is also doing great. His teacher says he plays with the kids and does talk in class, but he always wants to make sure he knows what he should be doing before doing it. He is excelling at reading and writing being in the top reading group right now.  He had all P+, P's and a couple PP (partially proficient). However the PP's were because they hadn't gotten to some skills yet. When he is home he amazes us with how well he can read and sound out words and how much he loves to write. I am one proud mom of my big boys!!!

Oma, Opa, and the Pumpkin Patch

The weekend before Carter's birthday my parents came to town. Opa hadn't met Olivia yet so they came in to meet her and see everyone else. We saw them Friday night and went and had Old C's for dinner. They spent Saturday with Todd and Jessie's kids and then came back over to our house on Sunday. Unfortunately Olivia and Tyler both got sick on Saturday (Nolan had already been sick a couple days earlier). So Oma and Opa didn't come over til the afternoon so we could see how everyone was feeling. Everyone seemed to be ok so we headed to the Pumpkin Patch.

We went to a different one this year that had hay rides, a slide, a train ride, a swing, lots of animals, and pumpkin of course. It would have been a lot of fun but it was VERY windy. We kind of rushed thought everything and my mom, Nolan, Olivia, and I even headed back to the car early while the boys finished up with the pony rides and picking out the pumpkins. The kids still had a good time though so I guess that's all that matters. We went and got dinner that night where Tyler got sick again. I loved that ,y parents came out and that my dad got to see Olivia, but I just wish we weren't all sick all weekend (I then got sick a couple days later as well).

Celebration

We had Carter's Birthday party at ArtSports this year. He invited his whole class, but because of a long weekend a few of them couldn't make it. All the kids still seemed to have a great time however. Carter loves jumping and doing flips and then loved his Star Wars cake.  For his actual birthday we had ravioli for dinner and he got to open his presents from us. The first thing he did was tell Tyler he could share his gifts. I sure do love his heart!

Carter's 5 Year Video Montage

Here is the video for Carter turning 5. 

5 Years Old

On the 19th, Carter James, you turned 5 years old. You are most definitely a big boy now. You still have one of the sweetest, most emphatic hearts that I know and I can't imagine our family without your little smile in it.
You love to do art, and boy are you good at it. Painting, coloring, cutting, or just doing worksheets, you love it all. You actually ask to do homework everyday because it usually means doing something with a pen in your hand. I hope this creativity will continue through out the years.  You (usually) love going to school and you love to share with us all that you are learning everyday. You love to sing, and although you never want to go, you love being in choir on Wednesday nights.
You love to jump on the trampoline and be outside. You may not always be running around, but if you are outside, even just sitting and watching or talking to the neighbor boys you are a happy kid.  You also love to watch "shows" which at times we had to put limits on for you. However if we give you the option to go out you will happily accept.
You still have such a big heart and would rather give things up yourself than see someone else sad. You are always the first to share your toys and special treats and always willing to do something less desirable (liking cleaning the playroom) if someone else doesn't want to do it. You also try to talk your way out of anything. You have an argument for anything we may ask you to do and you love to exaggerate. One of your favorite phrases right now is "this will take for ages".
You still love to play with Tyler, but since he is in school all day you are starting to have such a great relationship with Nolan, and he loves it so much. You play with Nolan and try to include him all day long. You also love your baby sister who you call "my baby girl" and "my princess".  However once Tyler is home you want to know all about his day and show him everything from yours.
You love to cuddle and always run up to daddy when he comes home from work and to me when I pick you up from schools. This is one of my favorite parts of everyday. I love you Carter James and can't wait to see you grow this year. Happy Birthday Carter Bear!

Aspens

Last weekend we took our annual drive to go and see the aspens changing. I was the perfect day weather wise and the trees were beautiful. The boys had a blast running around in the woods and having a picnic lunch by a stream. Enjoy the pictures!