Just have to say...

Matthew is SUCH a big kiddo! He slept from 10:30pm - 6am!!! AND if that wasn't enough excitement for the day, he also started grabbing for toys on his bouncy seat! I remembered the other day that Nicholas first started grabbing for toys on this really old pastel bouncy we have. Matthew sits in the seat frequently, but without the toy bar. I found the toy bar this morning & attached it to the bouncy. Sure enough, Matthew immediately noticed his hands close to the toys. I walked out of the room to grab his laundry & when I came back he was holding a toy and grinning wildly! He has repeatedly grabbed for toys & is just all smiles today!!!!
A Nicholas story: he is still excited about school. Today he put his backpack on & told me the school bus was coming (no, he does not ride a bus to school, but he can't wait for the day he gets to !). Later, I went down to the basement & Nicholas was "going to school" on his little tricycle - apparently there were three friends "riding" on his bike with him. It was so adorable!

1st day of Preschool

Around my house, the yells and screams are nearly constant. No, we're not having tantrums (right now) we are just excited for school. Ever since Nicholas understood the concept of school, he's been begging to go. We've been counting down the years, months, and finally days until that wonderful 1st day. Yesterday it was finally here. He basically danced around the house all morning shouting and cheering for preschool - he just couldn't wait any longer, he said. We took some cute pics with his backpack and loaded the car. In the parking lot, we met Nicholas' friend Ryan (God bless their teacher - they're in the same class). The excitement was building. Walking down the hallway, there were tears from so many other kids. Not mine. He was as pumped as he could be. Immediately upon arrival they got to PAINT! Already he was in heaven! They also toured the school, played outside, ate lunch, learned rules about school, and had share time. Nicholas was slightly upset, saying that other kids laughed at his share item and no one wanted to take it home. To clarify, the kids aren't supposed to take home anyone else's share item. You're just supposed to look at it - you know, show & tell! Nicholas brought a picture of himself holding Matthew. Anyway, Nicholas had a wonderful day and is already asking how many days until he goes back (yet another countdown).

Mom & Dad did just fine on this first day - no tears from us, either! It's hard to be sad or upset when your kid is just so excited! Julie (Ryan's Mommy) came back to our house & hung out with us for a while and then we all went out for lunch (Logan's - yummy). How nice to go out to eat with only 1 kid - and that one was quietly awake during our entire lunch! My favorite part of preschool so far is BOOK ORDERS!!! Yes, we received our very first book orders (THREE) and I can't WAIT to place my order!

I was TAGGED

My wonderful friend Becky tagged me & now I will tag anyone who reads this: maybe Alesa or Amy or Emily or Kara???



10 Weird Things About Me:



1. I won't eat salad. It tastes like grass. No one wants to eat grass.

2. I can eat more chocolate than anyone I know. Seriously, it's been proven.

3. I hate bugs & make Jason kill spiders, etc. if he's home.

4. I have tickets to the New Kids on the Block concert in November (I LOVE JORDAN!!!)

5. I would rather spend a day doing anything with my family than anything else in the world! I think they are pretty special!

6. I've had shingles TWICE... and I'm under 65 years old!

7. I think anyone who has ever been in band is cool (extra points for MARCHING band)

8. I make two shopping lists every week - an initial list to write down everything I need and a second list in "order" based on the store where I shop (just for the record - I don't think that is weird - Jason says it is)

9. I will watch practically ANY show that involves houses (house hunters regular & international, hidden potential, etc.) or babies (Deliver Me is a favorite)

10. I (accidentally) threw up on one of my college professors (on her head actually).

Just a note about my list - I'm sure there are many more strange things about me - some too embarrassing to post!

PRESCHOOL IS FINALLY HERE!

We had a wonderful day of playing in the park (for almost THREE HOURS), eating lunch at Red Robin (Nicholas' favorite), and playing in the pool with Jack. What a fun day! However, the fun we had was NOTHING compared to Nicholas & his excitement tonight. He is literally bouncing around the house singing various "I'm going to preschool" songs he made up. Yes, the day is finally here - we start PRESCHOOL tomorrow! He just can't wait - he's been begging to go to school for over a year now, and the time is finally here! We took a shower (our hair had to be EXTRA clean & dry for PRESCHOOL) & packed our bag (Spiderman backpack, please). I'll post tomorrow about our 1st day experience! Let's hope Nicholas calms down enough to SLEEP tonight!!!!

Wii Fun

So I blame Dustin & Julie for this - we succumbed to the pressure and bought a Wii this weekend. Jason & I are still searching for Wii Fit, but are enjoying the sports package now. Believe it or not, I beat Jason TWICE at boxing (didn't we all know I could kick his butt??), lost only by TWO in bowling (I am actually a terrible bowler - this game is rigged!), AND LAST but certainly not LEAST - I BEAT JASON AT GOLF!!! Yes, you read correctly. I've NEVER EVEN PLAYED BEFORE, yet I beat him! VICTORY IS MINE!!!! Even cooler, I've woken up with sore arms & shoulders the past two days from our vigorous playing - maybe it's even a workout for my arms!!! Don't worry, Becky, I'm not counting my Wii playing time as points!!!

Professional Pics of the Boys

Here are some professional pics of the boys from August 5th. Nicholas took direction very well. I was a little disappointed that he didn't have his glasses on as he broke them the day before. Still cute, though!! Matthew did great until the photographer accidentally pinched him! He pretty much fell apart and we were lucky to get so many cute pictures! Enjoy!

Back to School!

Yes, today is the first day of school. It's strange to think I've ALWAYS been in school, whether learning or teaching (also learning involved there) since 1984!!! This will be my first year away from school. That being said, I don't really miss it... yet. Maybe I will. Today I am excited for both of my friends starting new jobs. They both needed a change & I can't WAIT to hear about their first day (one actually doesn't start until next week... lucky girl!). I will miss the kids. I was incredibly fortunate to work with awesome kiddos and I'll miss the relationships we created over the course of a year.
This year, I will be a teacher of a different sort. Nicholas & Matthew get a full-time mommy but I will still be "teaching" them new things every day! Nicholas & I are starting to work on sight words and the sounds each letter makes. Gee, the English language is CONFUSING! Matthew & I are working on cooing, smiling, and sleeping longer at night. Hopefully we'll have some great progress! I know how blessed I am to have two wonderful boys and a wonderful husband to support me. By the way, it has been discovered that HE is my secret admirer! :) What a lucky girl I am!

Baby Comparison

Look similar? Here's a picture of Nicholas at 2 months (on the left, in case the nasal cannula didn't clue you in) and Matthew on the right. Kind of similar, right???

Two Months Old!

Yes, my little one turned TWO MONTHS OLD the same day his Uncle Jon got married! Here are some fun pics from the day of the wedding! It's hard to believe he's already two months old... seems like just a week or two ago he was BORN! He's really starting to show his personality, smiling and cooing all day long!

The Wedding Weekend

Nicholas & Miles - getting ready to be ring bearers!










Nicholas & Matthew at the rehearsal dinner













Shannon with Nicholas & Miles













The four of us on wedding day (no, Jason did NOT color his hair - must be the lighting!)













Jon & Shannon with the ring bearers & flower girl

We spent last weekend in Bloomington to celebrate my brother's wedding. At the wedding, the two boys pulled a 6 month old girl down the aisle. It went surprisingly well! Shannon looked beautiful & my brother very handsome. The day was wonderful & we were glad to share in their happiness.
Our boys did GREAT on the trip. We were honestly expecting the worst! We made the 6-hour trip in only 7 hours on the way there, and took an astonishing 6 hours, 40 minutes on the way back! Not bad at all! Staying at my parents house was a little odd. They didn't have cable, a computer, or a phone line. We managed to get by... we were really roughing it! It ended up not being such a big deal as we were super-busy most of the weekend. Nicholas LOVED his tux for the wedding - he thought he was HOT STUFF!! I fit into my dress, but am glad I can hide behind junky clothes now. Jason did excellent on Saturday, considering he was alone with both boys much of the day. The church had an excellent toddler & baby room right off the foyer that we were allowed to use. We fed Matthew in that room, used the swing and rocking chairs, and Nicholas played with all the fun toys! I honestly don't know what we would have done without it!

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Matthew is ROLLING from tummy to back! Yes, I know that's the easy one to do, but he did it SEVEN times in a row!!! Big boy!!!

Busy Weekend

My parents were in town this past weekend for the boys' baptism. They graciously watched the boys on Saturday night so we could attend Jason's work party. They had the "Tax Olympics" the past week at work with events like the 10-key challenge. Nerdy, right? It was good to get out and spend time with friends (where would I be at those events without Julie?????).
After the baptism and brunch at First Watch, Jason & Nicholas went to the Royals game. It was good for the boys to spend some time together, even if the game DID go into extra innings. I spent Sunday helping Matthew get back on track - the morning's events left him a bit out of sorts!
Today I am pleased to report that Matthew is 100% back to normal - he's smiling tons and just plain happy again! Last night, my big boy went 6 hours between feedings! We can't wait for him to sleep through the night... "they" say babies need to be about 12 pounds before they are ready to sleep that long continuously. Matthew weighed in at 11 pounds 4.5 ounces yesterday... guess we'll be at the correct weight soon!

Cubs Win!!!

Going through Withdrawal

So for some reason my phone was not working for THREE DAYS! That's right, I've been deprived of my phone & my internet since Tuesday! So, I'll catch you up!

On Wednesday the boys & I went to visit Baby Macy & her family. She is precious & Matthew can't wait for our next playdate! Merrick & Nicholas had a blast together - Becky is such a great hostess - they made SUGAR COOKIES together. I know how much Nicholas loves to cook, and now he just thinks Becky is the COOLEST for the cookie-making session! I put a pic of the kiddos cooking, and one with their new little sibilings! It is always so good to chat with friends... Becky & I seem to do that more on the phone these days as life keeps us pretty busy. It's so wonderful that our kids are close in age... swapping advice and frustrations is so valuable!!! Can't wait to see the Gacke kiddos again!

Thursday we took Nicholas back to the eye doctor for an exam. He broke his glasses (on purpose) Monday and we needed a new pair. The good news from that visit is that he is currently seeing 20/20 with his lenses and she doesn't want to increase his prescription until we see her again in February. Strange to schedule appointments for next year already!!!

Today I managed to get both boys out the door in time to stop at the park for 30 minutes on our way to Music Class. Unfortunately, Nicholas opted out of his nap today and is reading books instead. This may make for a cranky afternoon... cross your fingers it doesn't! The other two pics are from this morning... Jason & I found DOPEY onesies at Target several weeks ago. Since Dopey is Nicholas' FAVORITE thing in the whole world, how could we resist buying the onesies for Matthew? So, the first picture is the first smile of Matthew's that I've REALLY caught on camera. The second picture is Nicholas using his "Dopey voice" to talk to Matthew.

Becky & I were talking about salads this week... I really don't like salad (unless it's with spinach leaves - I like that). Lettuce tastes gross to me and I hate slimy tomatoes. Really there are no redeeming qualities in salad. Honestly, I've never tried too hard to enjoy salad. I figure that if I die tomorrow, I'd hate for my last meal to be salad. That explains my eating habits. I eat each day like it's my last! Yum, yum!

Sigh of Relief

Matthew's test results were flawed - a second test revealed that my little one is indeed perfect! We are relieved! We ended up talking to so many people who work in the medical community and nearly every one of them reassured us that it may be nothing. The blood draw seemed a bit shady, the results as well. Our 3 hours at Children's Mercy was worth it! Just including a pic of Matthew posing because he always seems to be begging for a picture!

Today we took the family to a Baby Shower for one of Jason's co-workers. Nicholas is usually so well-behaved that I didn't really worry about it. The host had 4 children, the youngest was 17 months old. For some reason, both the little one and Nicholas were playing near a small play kitchen. Nicholas wanted the fridge door shut, but the 17 month old had his hand in the way. Obviously this little guy couldn't communicate with Nicholas & stand up for himself, being so young! Nicholas got made & shut the door anyway, right on the boy's hand! We were so embarrassed! The host was polite, and said Nicholas didn't do it on purpose, but we know he did. We tried to sit him in time-out (again, embarrassing in someone else's house), but he screamed at the top of his lungs (quite a site if you haven't heard it!). Jason ended up taking him outside to cool him off. Still, it was in front of people who WORK with Jason - slightly embarrassing. After that, all went well. He proceeded to be his usual charming self and even got to play with a lizard & snake (I doubt he actually touched these animals, though!).

Jason is off to see a movie with one of his friends... Matthew is attempting to sleep and Nicholas is playing contentedly in his room.