Go Texan Day

Today was Go Texan Day at Isaac's school, so he got to wear his Wranglers, western shirt, and cowboy boots. He was very excited to wear this special outfit today! Of course they had some special activities planned for the day, one of which was that they had Chick Fil A for lunch (that is Isaac's favorite place). The first thing Isaac's teacher said to me when she got to the truck this afternoon was, "We found out today that Isaac LOVES Chick Fil A! He ate 6 nuggets and two fruit cups! He finished the first cup and wanted another; he sat their and ate his food even after all the other kids finished and were off playing." Haha, that made me laugh! The most nuggets I have seen him eat is 3, I was shocked to hear he ate 6, but not shocked to hear he ate 2 fruit cups, he loves fruit! Isaac said the Chick Fil A cow came to school today, he was not scared of him, he said he was nice. He was very excited about the cow. He did mention that the cow did not say, "Ho Ho Ho." What a funny correlation, huh? Isaac mentioned he got to sit on a black horse today, I'm not sure what he's talking about, but he did say it was like a rocking horse. His teacher told me that they took pictures today, so maybe they took pictures on the horse...I'm not really sure. All I know is that Isaac was very excited about his day today, and I was thrilled to see that joy!

Worn out

He flew up this rockwall!

I remember just a few months ago when he was afraidof these slides...no hesitation today!

Uh - oh, almost a collision, but oh so fun!

Luke crashed out in the swing.

Yesterday we had a fun play date with the boys good friend, Taylor. We went over to her house to play and the boys had a blast! I was hoping that Luke would nap on the drive over there, but he did not. Thankfully, he did great anyway, he played hard with Isaac and Taylor. He really enjoys being around other kids and trying to be big like them! Isaac and Taylor had a great time playing with all the toys, jumping on the trampoline, and just running around like 2 year olds do! After lunch we decided to take the kids to the park down the street. Isaac and Taylor love playing on the playground, they were all over the place! They climbed the rockwall, which Isaac thoroughly impressed me on; they went on the slides, monkey bars, and swings. Luke is still too young for most of the fun, but he enjoyed trying out the slides and of course he loved the swing! He was so worn out by this point in the day that he couldn't fight it any more...he fell asleep in the swing. He looked precious, this little guy sleeping in the big swing.
I'm so thankful for great friends that we can spend the day with and always have a great time!

An active guy

Luke is such an active little guy. He is much more active than Isaac was at this age and he is into everything! He is definitely keeping me busy and on my toes. This past week he discovered the slide in the playroom, and oh my, he LOVES it!

We've had some really fun times playing on the slide, both boys really enjoy this interaction with each other, and the laughter during this fun time brings me so much joy!

Half Marathon Training

I've tried three times now to train for and run a half marathon. It is a goal of mine to run one, and I've come really close this time, my race is only a few weeks away. In 2007, I started to train for one, but a few weeks into my training I found out I was pregnant. So no more training and no racing. In 2009, I started training for another one, however, this time I only made it a couple of weeks before finding out I was pregnant again. Obviously, I was more than happy to stop training both of those times, and would rather have my boys than run a half marathon. This past November I decided, once again, to start training for a half marathon. I teased Carl before I started, about my track record when it came to starting this training...he just teased back that maybe I shouldn't do this because he's not ready for #3.

Well, once again my training has come to an abrupt stop.

But, it's not due to pregnancy. A couple of weeks ago, after a long run, my foot started to hurt. It hurt for a couple of days, but I decided to push through and try to run...ouch, bad choice. So I took a week off, and tried again. I was able to run a couple of miles at a time without too much pain. So this past Sunday I met with a friend and tried to run 4 miles. I set a simple goal, a mileage I thought would be easy to reach. At about 3.75 miles I had to stop, it was killing me. I was so bummed. So today I went to the doctor to get it checked. Carl wanted me to stop running, but I told him I needed to hear that from a doctor, I wasn't going to give up on this half that easily. Well, I wasn't making up this injurty, after x-rays, the doctor determined I have peroneal tendinitis. :-( He suggested physical therapy to speed up the recovery time, but really, what mom has time for that!?! He said I can continue to run through the light pain, but as soon as it gets bad I need to stop....so that means right now I can run about 3 miles....a long way from the 13 I was hoping to run in a few weeks. He wants to see me again in 3 weeks to check the progress, and hopefully I will be able to say the pain is gone! We'll see! For now though, I will take it easy, add other types of cardio to my work out routine, and hope for quick healing.

Brotherly Love

I found them sweetly reading together last week.

Playing together under the kitchen table.

Oh how badly Luke wants in the auto!

Playing outside with Luke's new toy. (Thanks Stockton family!)

My Sweet Loves on Valentine's Day! (This picture is a miracle, how did I get all three of them smiling so perfectly at the same time!?!)

The boys are playing more and more each day, which is so fun! I love hearing them giggle together, I love hearing Isaac reading to Luke, and I love seeing them smile at each other!

Of course, Luke is all about Isaac, he follows him everywhere all day long. And he is determined to do what his big brother does. Today he even followed him into the bathroom and tried to climb up on the step stool with him. When Isaac drives Luke around in his Jeep I'm not sure who has more fun...they both smile the entire time!

Isaac has really started enjoying this interaction, he gets down on the floor and crawls around with Luke, brings him toys (sometimes takes them away), and shows him all the things around the house. Isaac loves sharing his bubble bath with Luke! They splash together and have the best time! Isaac likes to sing, but often when I ask him to sing me a song he says no, if I ask him to sing a song for Luke, he always sings!

Last week Isaac and I went to my bible study, and Luke stayed home to take a nap. On the way there Isaac asked, "Mama, where's Luke?" Then as we were walking up to the house he said, "Mama, Luke is in the truck!" He was very confused and unsure about going somewhere without his brother, it was so precious!

This evening as I was making dinner, Isaac leaned over and said to Luke, "I love you!" Pure Sweetness!

9 months

Who needs a nap?

My Sweet Luke is now 9 months old! He is so much fun, I really enjoy this stage, when he is starting to explore new things, learn new things daily, and have fun in all he does! Luke is all over the place, all day long! When we're at home if we hold him too long he gets mad, he starts to fuss and grunt, until we put him down and let him crawl. He loves to check out Isaac's toys, the toys on the refrigerator, going under the kitchen table, and he also likes checking out the stairs. Eek! I think it's time to put the gate back up. I used to be able to put him in the playroom while I helped Isaac go potty, not any more, he is right behind us in just a couple of seconds. He is always two steps behind me and Isaac. I love that! He pulls up constantly, on everything! This past week naps have been a battle because he just wants to stand up and play in his bed. Unfortunately, I have another woodchuck, he has started chewing on his bed, ugh! When I put him in the playroom he immediately goes to his play table and stands up...he loves standing!

He is still very much attached to me, my sweet mama's boy. This past weekend we went to my parent's house to visit with the whole family and some friends that are visiting from the Netherlands...he was not happy about all the people. He held on tight to me and didn't let go for quite some time. Finally, after being there about 3 hours, one of the visitors was able to hold him (with me sitting right next to them). Today at his doctor's appointment he was happy as can be, until someone came in the room, then he immediately held on to me and started to fuss if they looked at him. The second I put him down he screamed, and then when I picked him up he quickly stopped. He is quite vocal about his stranger anxiety.

This month he learned to clap, which he does all the time! He also learned to give five and give kisses! He still enjoys when we sing to him, the ABCs and Wheels on the Bus are still his favorites.

He is eating more solids lately, today he even ate some chicken!

He got a good report at the doctor today, he is developing right on par! His weight remains a concern, so after much discussion the doctor suggested I begin giving him a few bottles of my milk in addition to what he is eating now. This will be a challenge, since he is not a big fan of bottles, but I will do my best because my peanut needs to put on some pounds. He currently weighs 14 lbs 12 oz (3rd percentile) and is 27.5 inches (25th percentile).

My Luke's personality is really beginning to show, I love getting to see that! He is fun loving, sweet, audacious, and a go getter!

Good News Bad News

The boys have had this yucky cold that just won't go away. This weekend we decided that they needed to go back to get checked again, but the problem was that I have not been happy with their doctor and I wasn't sure where to take them. Thankfully, I had many great recommendations and chose one close by that came highly recommended. So I called this morning and after talking to the receptionist I had a good feeling. We went in this afternoon, and I was very pleased with the doctor and the entire staff. After the nurse finished with Isaac he said, "That nurse is nice!" Wow, even he could tell a difference between this nurse and our old nurses. I am so thankful the visit went so well. Unfortunately, we did leave with medicine...both boys have an ear infection. It's a first for both of them, Isaac made it almost three years! I'm sad they have to go through this, but I know they will recover and be fine. They have both been real troopers, they didn't show any signs of an ear infection and have both been in great moods. Luke was definitely a little more off today, but not horribly, and now I know why. I pray that they feel better really soon and that we don't have any more illnesses anytime soon.

Growing too fast

Luke is growing too fast! Even though the first year of life is hard on the parents, it is also filled with so many sweet and exciting moments, and I am sad about how fast this year is going. My little guy seems to be learning something new daily. This week he has learned to...

• give kisses...big, slobbery, open mouth kisses. It seems more like he's trying to bite, but it's his way of kissing and it's so sweet!
• pull up, and he pulls up on everything! He crawls to toys to pull up on - dump trucks, toy tables, toy shopping cart, exersaucer, etc. - he also crawls to me whether I am sitting or standing and he will use me to pull himself up. Just yesterday he pulled himself up in his crib after his nap.
• crawl everywhere! He used to say in the room where I put him down, but now if I put him down and quickly step out of the room to do something, he will follow. It's pretty funny watching him crawl on the wood floors, he slips and slides around, like the cars on the icey roads today.
• talk on the phone. As soon as I pick up the phone and begin dialing he comes over to me and reaches for it. He fusses until I bring the phone to his level and put it on speakerphone, then he proceeds to "talk" to the person on the other end.
• drop his toys off of his highchair so we can pick them back up, over and over. It took me a little bit of time to realize he was doing it on purpose, but he definitely is. He drops whatever is on his tray, and just stares at us until we pick it up, Isaac says, "Uh-oh!" as soon as it hits the floor...I think he likes the reaction he gets from all of us.
• love Cole! Cole is his best friend, he smiles when Cole walks in to the room, and he crawls to him as soon as he sees him. If we're holding him and Cole comes over he tries to dive bomb out of our arms to get to him. The love is returned, too, Cole gives him kisses and checks on him constantly. It's so neat to see that relationship form between a boy and his dog.

My little one may be little, but his full of spunk and joy! I am so thankful to be his mama and to be able to be home with him to watch him learn all of these things!

Thoughts

My big guy is really growing, even his vocabulary and thoughts are flourishing! I love hearing his thoughts these days, and that's the great thing about two year olds, they tell you exactly what they are thinking...

• Today Carl was playing with Isaac and teaching him to flex his muscles, he then came in and was showing me his muscles. I said to him, "Wow, you are so strong!" He quickly responded to me saying, "Like Jesus!!!" One of his current favorite songs, and one they sing at school, is "Jesus Loves Me" and as you know one of the lines in the song says, "He is strong." Apparently that verse has made an impact on him.
• Last week one day while eating dinner and talking I called him Sweetheart. I say this often to both of my boys, but I guess he really heard it that night. He looked at me and repeated it, so I said, "Yes, you are my sweetheart." I could see the wheels turning in his head, and then he said, "Sweetcircle?"
• Isaac has become obsessed with singing the ABCs, and any toy that sings the ABCs. Luke got a little "CD" player that sings it, and Isaac has stolen it, put it in the back of his car and made it his radio. He turns it on, then starts driving, and has to stop immediately when the song is over to restart it, he cannot drive without his radio on. Speaking of driving his car, he also has to unlock the door before he gets in it, start the engine before driving, and turn it off when he stops. The other day we were trying to get out of the house and he was procrastinating, he was playing in the car and not cooperating. I finally got him to drive into the dining room to park it, and then made him get out quickly to get out the door. We loaded into my truck, started driving away, and he said, "Mama! My auto is still on!!!" He was very upset about the fact that he didn't turn off his auto before he got out of it. I tried to convince him that Cole would turn it off, but he didn't buy it.
• One of his favorite books at the moment is a book about sharing. He makes us read it over and over and over! This evening he convinced Carl to read it, again, and so to be silly Carl was using the wrong names for characters and changing some of the other main parts of the story. Isaac caught on to every mistake and told Carl what he should have said. I think he has the book memorized.
• He loves reading, "The Very Hungry Catepillar" and today he couldn't find the book, he said, "Mama, where's the "Looking for Food" book?
• Today we were playing a little game of hide and seek; it was Isaac playing against me and Luke. He hid in the same spot every time, sitting on his chair in his room...I think we need to work on what hiding means. When Luke and I were hiding and he was looking for us he would say, "Mama, UkeyPoo, waar ben je?" (Waar ben je is Where are you in Dutch.)
• A few days ago I put on a polo shirt, when Isaac saw it he said, "You have a shirt like Ms. Marlo!" His teacher at school wears a polo everyday because they wear a uniform. Funny that he noticed that.
• He yelled a really high pitched yell today, and I said, "Please don't do that it hurts my ears." He then said, without hesitation, "It hurts my ears when the policeman turns on his siren."

He keeps me on my toes all day long, and even though there are days that I'm not sure how we will make it through the day, he always manages to bring me so much joy and make me laugh so quickly after he's made me mad. I love my crazy, fun, 2 year old!

The last week...

Mr. Active...pulling up on the table!

Sleeping when he was sick...poor little guy.

My big guy sleeping late this morning...the camera didn't even wake him!

Crawling, crawling, and more crawling!

This past week was not a fun week around here, all four of us got sick with the yucky flu like illness. Thankfully it wasn't the flu, Luke was tested and he was negative for the flu, so we decided that none of us had the flu. Thank goodness! We are all on the upswing now, the boys are still snotty and coughing a little, but the fever is gone and both boys are full of energy and happy!

The last two days Isaac has slept in late in the morning, yesterday he slept until I woke him up at 10:10 am and today I had to wake him up at 8:00 am so he wouldn't be late for school. Speaking of school...he loves it! He is happy to go every time and can't get out of the car fast enough. I'm so happy that he is enjoying it so much and that he transitioned so quickly! He says a blessing before we eat, that he learned at school, and he sings two new songs that he learned there (the Good Morning song and Jesus Loves Me). Today was pizza and pajamas day, which means he got to wear his PJs and they are eating pizza for lunch; all to help learn the letter P!

Luke is developing so well and so fast, I can't believe all the things he's doing! He is crawling everywhere, really everywhere! He started pulling up on the tables and toys this weekend, he has crashed a few times, but it doesn't phase him! He is still a peanut, so it's really cute to see this little bitty guy standing at a table. He is also doing better about letting others hold him...as long as I stay close by. ;-)

I am so thankful my boys are feeling better, it is so hard to see them sick! I pray that we can avoid any more sicknesses this winter.