September...School, 7 Months, & Sickness

I'm embarrassed to admit that it's taken me this long to realize that the video uploading problem was our crummy old laptop.  I bit the bullet and got out the "new" laptop (that's about a year old, but we hate the user interface and it's just not as user friendly, nor does it have all our bookmarks the old one does)...sure enough, I can upload videos again!!  Of course, most of the adorable ones are over two minutes, so the files are too large to upload.  BUT I'll keep working on it...  I had the most hilarious one of Carter's first solids and all the classic, precious faces he was making, but we'll have to settle for a cute one of his first time in the bouncer. 

And very exciting...  Reid's been dying for his school to start.  He was a bit disappointed when I got to go to Parent Night (but he did not-and Jason stayed home with the kids since this was an evening deal).  I took some pictures of the Frog classroom to show him (although this is also typically the classroom Kids' Club, the afterschool program, meets in...so it's not like he hasn't seen it before).  He got a big grin when I showed him the frog with his name on it and how he can see Mommy's school from the Frog classroom's window.

 

Unfortunately, being a teacher myself, there will always be things Reid misses out on.  It was my second week of school with students, so I had to pick which day I was going to take a 1/2 day off for... Meet the Teacher, or his first day.  I opted to be there for his first day (especially since meet the teacher was just a come and go event).  My little cutie, ready for Pre-K!!

He was more excited than anything.  The pictures bugged him and he just wanted to go!  Once we got there, a little bit of uncertainty set in.  Thankfully, his little buddy Ellison (from the Monkey class last year) is also in the Frog class, so I think that has helped.

After a bit of urging him to quit clinging to Mommy and be a big boy, he found his frog.

He was a little bit shy, but thankfully no tears (or Mommy might've lost it!).  Once he found toys he liked, he was good to go! 

They don't have the carpool lane running the first week of school, so Jason took him on Thursday.  I made sure he got a picture with his new teachers since I'd forgotten on Wednesday.  Since then, he is able to be dropped off in the carpool lane (the ONLY way we're able to have him go since Holli has so many babies this year...I'd never ask her to get out of the car with all of them!) like a big boy.  I smile when I think of him walking to his class, unpacking his backpack, etc.  I sure hope he's actually doing all that!!  In the four year old classes, we don't get any daily communication unless there was a problem...

Reid grows by the day, I swear!  He is constantly picking up new things, some of which I have no idea where he got it.  And his imagination cracks us up.  Here's the "tent" he made for his stuffed animal friends during quiet time one Saturday:

And after playing with the toy "dump" at Ben and Alex's house, he's been obsessed!  He had to make one of his own (which we will never do again!!  It took DAYS to clean it up!) and all the vehicles that looked like something that could work in a dump came to 'help.'

He's also so good about entertaining Carter for a few minutes here and there when I'm gathering lunchboxes in the mornings or unpacking the car in the afternoons.  He automatically goes over (without being asked) when Carter cries and tries to make him laugh.  And of course, who better to make you laugh than your big bro?  Way funnier than Mom or Dad!!

The dynamic duo in adorable shirts Taunt had her mom make for them...  We've had them since Carter was born, but I always forgot to take a picture and was afraid we'd end up with Reid's stained since he loves it! 

Carter is officially seven months as of Wednesday.  As usual, I need to take a picture in between feedings, school, spit ups, you get the idea.  More pics to come!  But we had a little hiccup this week... an unexpected surgery for me!!  I went to bed on Sunday night at the normal time and felt fine--I'd had a great workout at the gym that afternoon and everything.  But I awoke 45 minutes or an hour later feeling bad.  Bad went to worse and I just writhed around in what I thought was stomach pain, thinking, "Here's my first stomach virus of the year...wonder if it'll be over with soon or if I need to call in a sub for tomorrow."  It got so bad that I took a painkiller and went downstairs in hopes that at least Jason would have a chance to sleep.  I'd writhe around on the couch for awhile, then run into the bathroom thinking I needed to vomit (or have thunder down under), but nothing.  I finally did get sick one time but really didn't feel any better.  It got to about 3am and I'd had enough.  I arranged for a sub at school, went upstairs to tell Jason I felt awful and was going to the ER (so he was in charge of the kids), and drove myself.  Once I arrived, they took my vitals, admitted me, gave me a painkiller, and did a quick abdominal check.  My pain was mainly in the upper left side of my abdomen (and shooting through to the back) but when the doc pressed around, my lower abdomen on the right is what really hurt.  He ordered a CT with contrast, so I had to drink two cups of lovely contrast, wait 1 1/2 hours for it to circulate through my system, then the CT lady came in.  In the meantime, I was worried about not having sub plans, Jason having to hang out at home not knowing when I'd be done, etc.  So I didn't sleep/rest a wink.  After the CT, the doctor came in and announced that I had appendicitis and I'd be having surgery that morning.  Um, what????  So long story short, Jason dropped the kids off at Holli's, came to pick me up (it was finally determined that since the surgical hospital was about .25 miles away, he could transport me rather than the ambulance), I was admitted to Methodist McKinney, and in surgery by about 9am.  Quick, successful surgery.  I am just so thankful that Jason was in town (he was out of town last Wednesday through late Friday), that the kids were already scheduled to go to Holli's, that my team at school could throw together plans for a sub, and for that ER place to be close and open.  God was certainly watching out for me!!  I spent a night in the hospital, but everything else has kind of been "whenever you feel like it"...picking up 17 lb. Carter, driving, going back to work.  I'd really prefer more of a black and white answer on stuff like that, but I know everyone's body is different.  Recovery has been slow and I am absolutely exhausted.  But I am sooooo thankful for the well-wishes, do-gooders, and kind thoughts we've been sent.  We've even had several folks send us a meal, which has been fabulous!  And my school sent the most beautiful flowers yesterday--such a sweet surprise.  It's nice to know you're loved and missed! ;) 

6 Months

Carter is officially half a year old!!  Reid still has trouble understanding that Carter is less than one...so he calls Carter "zero years old".  This little guy is still spitting up a storm with the reflux, but other than that...healthy and happy, happy, happy guy!

Grandma Will sent the most adorable outfit to Carter.  It has a cute little submarine on the booty, then the front says "Captain Adorable".  It has been really hard to get a pic of him in it because he always spits up before I can snap it.  But this day, he actually cooperated.

And if you look very closely at the picture above, you can see his first two teeth!!  Yes, apparently sometime around the time I went back to work, he decided to sprout a couple of teeth.  No redness of the gums for two weeks (like Reid), just a little fussy a few days and then BAM...two teeth!!  Reid also didn't get teeth until he was 10 months...this one was sometime in the 5th month!  Guess that just puts him a wee bit closer to solid food, he hopes.  He insists on sitting at the kitchen table when we do and watches us eat and makes the little chewing motions.  He was never a big fan of the rice cereal (maybe because he has a tablespoon of it in every ounce of his formula, for the reflux), but oatmeal was a hit.  So it came time to try out solids last week.  I figured it'd be a hit, but boy...was I wrong.  Look at that face!

He really didn't care for the green beans unless you totally mix it in with his oatmeal.  We tried peas today--a little bit better, but still not a fan.  Hopefully he won't be as picky as Reid.  I don't think I can handle two eaters that picky!

This kid is sure on the move, too.  He looooves his bouncer and plays with everything on it, carefully tugging, pulling, and inspecting it all. And I'm afraid crawling isn't too far away...  I can set him down, turn around for a second, and he's already somehow rolled/scooted himself off of the blanket.  He loves tummy time and immediately rolls over if you put him down on his back.  I'm just worried with the constant spit up and starting solids--looks like our carpet and couches are doomed :( 

Already being chased by the girls!  Rylan is about 2 months younger that him and goes to Holli's every day, too.  Holli sent me this picture last week.  So cute!

Big bro loves making Carter laugh and giving him toys to play with.  I (finally!) got a picture before someone spit up.  Taunt (Aunt Aimee) had these adorable shirts made for them and I've been meaning to get a pic before Carter grows too big for his newborn sleeper.  I squeezed him into it and lucked out.  Reid loves that his says "big brother" and has "his" letter r.

Carter is no longer in the swaddle blanket, thankfully!  This was one of the last nights he was in it.  I worried because he'd  flip onto his tummy and not be able to get back onto his back.  He doesn't really do much better in the sleep sacks now, but at least he can move his arms.  I still have to elevate the mattress and make a little nest for him to not end up rolled down to the bottom in his own spit up. 

And hopefully he won't have the neck and back issues Jason and I have...but then again, most nights he's sleeping like this.  Ouch!

 

This little guy is growing up way too fast!!  We are so thankful that he is healthy and happy.  And he is the perfect fit for our family.  

End of Summer

I started this post last week, the day before school was going to begin. I was officially back for two weeks before that, and I was trying to distract myself from the reality that summer break was officially over.  It's been so hectic with carting everyone to the sitter, re-setting up my classroom, etc. that I realized I never posted the rest of our summer break pics!

We finally got to visit Houston in a mad dash.  It's really hard to do a solo trip with two little ones!  I had to work around Carter's eating schedule and Reid's and my breakfast and lunch schedule.  Reid doesn't really nap anymore and Carter's napping wasn't extremely great at that point, so I guess that was helpful...one less thing to worry about.  I packed up the car the night before and we headed to Aunt Lala's in Katy. It took forEVER to get there!!  But once there, Reid was in heaven with the boys' toys and playing with cousins. 

We also got to meet Casey, the newest member of their family.  I really thought even Reid would like her because she's pretty much scared of everyone and (aside from sniffing) steers clear.  But Reid screamed like a little girl every time he saw her.  Carter thought she was pretty cute, I think!

Reid had never been to Chuck E. Cheese before, so we had to make our first trip.  The hardest part was getting the boys to sit down and actually eat lunch before we started.  Laura knew all the tricks and even knew to go online for coupons and vouchers to get free tokens.  Right after we'd gotten there, Chuck E. Cheese made an appearance and invited the kids to dance with him.  I couldn't get Reid enthused and he hung out by Carter's stroller.  I did get him to grab a couple of tickets at the end when Chuck E. made it "rain". 

Reid loved the games and lights, but really just wanted to play on their (free) playground.  Go figure.  He did get to do his first racing game with Ben, compliments of Aunt Lala's foot on the gas pedal since he wasn't tall enough to reach yet.  We also got a cute Official Chuck E. Cheese Police badge with his pic, and a group black and white photo print out.  I was sure Reid would be disappointed at the end when Ben and Alex cashed in their tickets for prizes and he didn't have anything, so Laura and I ended up figuring out which games you could get the most tickets for your tokens and we had a blast ourselves!  In true Reid fashion, however, all he really cared about on the prizes was one package of Smarties candy.  I pretty much picked out the rest of his prizes and he really never cared much about the others.

 
It was so hot and humid that the only way we could stand being outside was at the pool or splashpad.  Carter obviously can't play in it yet, but he didn't seem to mind the heat. 

And a few minutes later, OUT!  And I was worried about him not getting his 5:30 catnap...

Reid has always loved "Aunt Lala's pool" so of course we had to go there.  Our last day there was the only day we could fit it in.  We packed lunches for the big boys, but the baby decided to nap there just before we were going to leave...so darn--we had to stay another hour!  Ben was so sweet with Carter and loved getting him to smile. 

I grossly misjudged our timing (basically on the entire trip) and we hit a little bit of afternoon traffic on the Beltway even though it was early.  But we made it to Grammy and Grumpy's house, and Aunt Kristen popped in after work.  I hope we didn't scare her with the craziness and overtiredness of two boys doing dinner/bath/bed.  Obviously, Reid had a lot of trouble falling asleep...HA. (this was at 10-something)

We made the obligatory trip to the duck pond the next day.  Reid had fun feeding the ducks and fish with Grumpy, then he and I floated a few leaf boats down the fountain.

Carter, being a man of the times, was more intrigued with Grumpy's iPad.  Go figure.

Papa was also sweet enough to come over and visit (saving me the madness of attempting to schedule another trip based around nap/feeding/diaper times).  Carter couldn't get enough of the silly faces he made and was all giggles. Just wish we could've seem Mamare this time, but she had to work.  I think next summer, our trip will have to be longer...we didn't have enough time anywhere we went!!  But I didn't want to be gone over a weekend and leave Jason all alone.

My friend Lacy was in limbo all summer, wondering if or if not they'd be moving to New York.  So Reid, Carter, and I made the most of playdates...just in case.  We tried to do at least one a week, usually something free and outdoors.  But two weeks in a row, it was pouring.  The first week they were kind enough to come over (much appreciated, considering I was trying to work around Carter's morning nap and feedings), but the second week we decided to take the kids out.  So we went to an indoor trampoline park.  Laughingly, they were more entertained by the "hurricane machine" and claw machine (no winners, but they had fun putting in the quarters).  Lacy and I were cracking up.

And here's a typical shot of one of our playdates: Reid won't listen, Violet cutely wants to help me with Carter, and Lacy and I just laugh at (I mean, with!!) our kids and compare notes on the cute and annoying things they both do (whew...so that must be normal if they're both doing this, right??).

With my paycheck still being docked until September 15th, we've tried to cut back on various things here and there.  Reid's haircuts end up being about $19 with tip (even though I only go on "toddle waddle Wednesdays" when there's a discount), so I'd gotten electric clippers a couple of years ago.  But he moves around like a mad man and I've been too afraid to attempt it.  Jason bravely took on the task.  I was a bit worried at first, but he did a fabulous job...and it was free!!  Clippers paid for--in one use!

And this little guy just wants to fly...and fly...and fly...and...well, you get the picture.  

I'm very thankful for our summer break.  It was a crazy one this year, but I wouldn't change it for the world.  I love getting to spend time with my two little guys, and I'm sure Jason loves the "way less stressed" version of me. There's just something wonderful about the season--so laid back and free.  I'm sad the dog days of summer are here and school's back in session.  But I'm hoping for a good school year and I suppose it will be nice to have some routine back eventually...or at least I'd like to convince myself ;)

5 Months

So five months was a couple of weeks ago...  But I did remember to get pics!  This little guy can't be still long enough for an unblurry picture these days.  This was about as good as it gets this month.  Oddly enough, this one is actually from my phone.  I'm really trying to get a pic each month with his legs spread out so you can compare and see how long he's gotten.

But he has other ideas!  It's much more fun to pump those arms and legs around, slide down in the chair, kick up a leg...you get the picture.

 

 

Carter is loving tummy time, now.  He just can't get enough.  And I just can't seem to get enough laundry done each day with all the spit up everywhere!  Poor guy...  I honestly don't see how he's gaining weight, but he is a little chunky monkey, so I try to not worry about it.

 He loves tummy time so much that he fussed in his high chair (which conveniently scoots up nicely to the big table) and didn't want to be held, so I decided he could watch big bro eating like this (closely supervised, of course).  Reid loved it, too!

 

His absolute favorite thing right now is doing the airplane.  He'll literally practice doing this over and over (and spitting up over and over, lol) for an hour.  This kid better have a strong back one day!  He's also doing mini push-ups and can scoot around 360 degrees to see what's going on.  I have a feeling he won't be waiting to crawl at 11 months, like Reid.  He hasn't been up on all fours yet, but we're getting close...  If I leave him for a minute, I sometimes come back and he's somehow inched off of the blanket (to spit up, of course)...so the scooting has begun.

At the end of July, I attempted to surprise Jason (my surprises always crash and burn) with a date night.  We happily used our Pappa's gift card to enjoy some lobster and other delectable goodies, then had a refreshing beverage at a neat little bistro with live music. 

The next day, I dropped Reid off at Bible school, dropped Carter off at Holli's, and loaded up the car for a much needed girls' trip!  Laura, Lindy, Stephanie, and I enjoyed some great girl time, shopped, ate, and floated the river to relive some of our college days and catch up on each others' lives.  Jason was Superdad and held down the fort at home for the weekend...his first with both boys, brave man!  I returned relaxed, refreshed, and feeling more like myself.  Absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder.  It was a fun time, but it was also wonderful to get home to my sweet family.  

 

Summertime

We have had a busy, busy summer...doing what?  I'm not quite sure!!  There's rarely a spare moment, but most days I can't account for anything but housework, grocery shopping, feeding Carter, and maybe squeezing in a walk/letting Reid play at the park before it's too hot.  But tucked in there a couple times a week, we've enjoyed play dates with friends.  Several Mondays, we've gone to a friend's pool with our playgroup friends.  Not too relaxing when toting along a 4 month old, but I want Reid to be able to play with his friends, too.  Another sweet friend we've played with is sweet thing, Violet.  You might remember her as Reid's very first play date ever!  They are best buds and we are devastated that they might be moving soon :(  But for now, we're just enjoying their company!  Lacy (Violet's mommy, my school's Art teacher) and I decided to return to the spash pad they'd played in when they were little. 

 

She is a wonderful photographer, too, and took some great pics of the kids.  As much as I'd love to claim these as mine, the next four were taken by her.  She's going to give me the low down on my 'fancy' camera the next time we play!

It was actually cloudy and quite chilly that day, oddly enough.  When the kids ran up shivering, we decided to re-dress and head to another park to play since the weather was unseasonably cool.
 

Carter even cooperated most of the day.  He loved Violet, who kept getting him to smile.  

We were excited to have Daddy home for an extra day for the Fourth of July.  We didn't do much, but it was great to have an extra family day!  On a whim, I snapped a few patriotic pics of Carter, and this one ended up being one of my favorite ones of him yet.

 

 We had a MUCH anticipated visit from Aunt Lala, Ben, and Alex this month, too!  They were supposed to come on a Monday, but poor Alex woke up throwing up.  I'm not sure if Laura and I or the boys were more disappointed!  Reid kept asking me questions every five minutes such as, "Is Alex still throwing up?  Can they come anyway?  Why is he sick?  Is he okay?"  Fortunately, it must've been a short-lived stomach bug and he was good to go the next morning, so they could still come.  Ben was so sweet meeting his new cousin for the first time.  He was very patient and concerned any time Carter would cry, but so careful and sweet...

...even when Carter decided he was hungry and got a little cranky, Ben didn't lose his cool!

Alex enjoying meeting Carter, too, but when Carter wasn't too interactive, he decided the Bumbo was more fun.  It cracks me up because Reid has been doing the same thing...but who knew an almost first grader could still fit?  :)  Reid has also had just as much fun with all the baby toys lately.  Probably more than Carter!

What trip is complete without the traditional bathtub pic??  We didn't figure Carter was quite old enough yet, and with these growing boys and their long legs, there sure wasn't room for a baby tub!

We had a fun time playing at the pool, a neat park, splash pad, and some quiet time at home.

 One hot afternoon, we went to Kid Mania which is a cool indoor playground.  The kids had a blast!

They tired out of playing in the nets and tunnels and were begging to play in the money pit (I mean...*arcade*).  Laura appeased them by a trip to the photo booth.  It was hilarious to listen and watch!

 

We deliberated on sleeping arrangements and decided all the big boys could sleep in Reid's "new" room.  The first night, it didn't work so well at first.  Too much fun ;)  The second night, we split them up after a crazy book reading time (Reid was a maniac and playing the whole time, as you can see) and they were so tired that they all went right to sleep.

We did have to get a picture of all the Shepherd side cousins together.  No one was really wanting to cooperate at first...

But we finally got a good one of everyone!

Another cute one...  Alex held Carter just long enough for a pic, then quipped something to the effect of, "Can you take him now so he won't spit up on me?"  After the boys had seen how much and how often Carter spits up, I was honestly surprised they let us pose them with him at all, but they were good sports!

We had so much fun!!  It's always hard to say goodbye, but how wonderful to know we'll be traveling south that first week of August to see them again :)  Yay!