Little B

Little B in his sling....his favorite place to hang out

Don't you just want to eat him!! Babies are so edible. Brendan just turned 4 months old this past Sunday. We cannot believe the time is flying by even faster than it did with Owen and Avery! He is still a lovable little guy with a great smile and lots of energy. About a month ago, he began the teething process. So after huge amounts of drool and some intermittent fussiness, the two little pearls that are under his swollen gums have not reared their ugly heads. Poor guy. We think that they'll make their appearance in the next month or so for sure.

As for the adjustment with Mom going back to work two weeks ago, he's been minimally phased by it. Takes a bottle like a champ (unlike some female child of ours that we shall not name in this post) and the 9pm - 6:00 am block of sleep that we have been so very blessed with since he was 2 1/2 months old has remained -- OH JOY! Mom loves that more than you know. It helps out tons when she doesn't get to bed until 1 a.m. on work nights. Mom is finding that her bedtime is a bit earlier than it used to be, since B was born...must be a 'getting older' thing.

As you can probably guess, the biggest adjustment with Mom going back to work has been for Mom and Dad....juggling the 'schedules' and making sure that the kids' daily routine runs as smooth as possible. We're doing a fine job so far, but it's going to take some time before it runs really smooth. And Dad is doing an awesome job with the kids at home, as always. He's the best! By the time things start falling into place here, it'll be time to shake things up again with the start of the school year. Owen going to first grade (frown) and Miss Avery beginning her first year of preschool (which she is soooooo excited about). We'll be updating the blog over the weekend with some 'summer fun' pics and some great stories. Until then....

Cruisin'

So everyone that truly knows Owen, knows that he loves hot rods, muscle cars, and basically anything that goes fast with 4 wheels. He's already told us that he wants to buy his 'hot rod' now and start working on it, so that when he turns 16 it'll be ready to drive. He really has become a little 'gear head' which is no big surprise. His Great Grandpa was an Engineer for Ford and his Grandpa Greg was an Engineer for Ford, as well (not to mention building/working on classic cars his whole life...and racing one or two down the drag strip 'back in the day'). It's in Owen's blood. We got a phone call around 6:00 p.m. the other night from Grandpa Greg, "Hey, is it too short of a notice to come by with the Mach I and take Owen for a ride?" Of course, I put the phone aside and ask Owen, "Do you want to go for a ride in the Mach I?", to which he replies "YEAH!!!!!!!" So Grandpa came by and Owen's eyes just lit up when he saw the car...and then we heard Avery come running up as well, "Woo Hoo! I want to go for a ride, too!" It was an amazing moment for all of us. I could see the pride in my Dad's eyes and the ear-to-ear grin that he had, as the kids laughed and squealed with excitement from the backseat. It was definitely a moment that he'll always remember and the kids will look forward to again and again. Cruisin' with Grandpa Greg....well, and a few peel-outs, too ;)

Busy, Busy, Busy...

Busy. Nothing new here in this household. We've been trying to get some things squared away before Tonia goes back to work, which is just around the corner. It is so hard to believe that four months have gone by so fast..the first two were a little blurry, anyway.

So, Owen finished Kindergarten with flying colors. That kid is one smart cookie (now we are going to gloat for a moment). He managed to learn a whopping 225 sight words this year! The teacher tested the class on sight words with a list that is typically given to children during the middle of their first grade year. Sight words are words that they can identify in about a second, without having to sound out the word. The teacher was very impressed by his reading ability, as well as his sharp mathematical skills. He's going to need that math because he has decided that he wants to build and paint cars when he grows up (kind of like Chip Foos)...sounds like a little engineer to us! Now we are just enjoying his summer off and trying not to think about the fact that he'll be gone all day come fall (Mommy is already having separation anxiety).

Then there is Miss Avery. She has been enjoying having her brother home all day to fight, I mean play with. She really loves the summer because it means that she can wear dresses everyday, which is the best thing in the world to her. That and her pink Crocs that have been well worth the money..they practically have holes in the bottom of them because she has worn them so much (second summer). And to go along with the dresses, she always has a pair of matching princess bandages on her knees. You won't see her sitting around playing dolls or picking dandelions. Avery is always in the mix, running around, having fun, and of course skinning her knees.

Finally we have Little B. He just turned 3 months old and is just a perfect baby. Seriously, we really mean it. The typical 'rough spots' that all parents go through with newborns were very short lived with him. He eats (and poops) like a champ and sleeps like a rock. Woo hoo! He is very predictable with his 'schedule' and just generally very happy all-around, talking away and giggling at his big brother and big sissy. Yeah, he'll be a busy little one when he gets mobile, but this Mom and Dad don't even flinch at that thought...remember, we have Miss Avery :) We've been there...and then some.