Happenings

My sister has reminded me that it has been months since there has been an update. I have totally been slacking on my blog since I started working from home. For some reason, on my new computer, I was having a hard time linking pictures into the blog, and without pictures, what fun is a post? But, I think my IT guy got it fixed, so all is right in the world.

Well, except for Adam Levine being People's Sexiest?

I am not a fan... too skinny, voice high pitched, etc...but I am more of a Channing Tatum fan (as documented and noted....extensively). Actually, People magazine missed the boat.... they don't know about this guy:

OK... enough about hot men...

what have we been up to? Hunter, Owen and Quinlin are all thriving in the new school year. Hunter managed to pull a 3.5 for the first quarter of junior year (all while working- though no longer at the inflatable place...now he's in the food industry, and enjoying it).

Owen is doing well in pre-kindergarten and it solidified the fact that we made the right decision by holding him off from starting kindergarten as a young five. He is enjoying learning, eager to attempt to read, loves to play the game of rhyming words and opposites. Our new thing to tackle are sight words and will in due time. His coloring and drawings have been fantastic! It's amazing the difference in a year of how his mind works.

Quinlin is really enjoying preschool as well. She is learning and growing and has such the personality!

Other fun happenings...
My sister and I planned a girls weekend and went to Fort Lauderdale. So nice to have a weekend to ourselves. We visited family, spent time on the beach and at the pool, did some shopping. It was perfect!

 

 

Halloween happened. Sean and I went to a Halloween party in the neighborhood:

And the kids enjoyed trick or treating, though it was incredibly rainy and cold and they only lasted 30 minutes. But they sure looked cute!
 

We took family pictures this fall- a snapshot to leave you with!

 

and how sweet is this one???

 

Now that I can get pictures back on the blog, I will attempt to do it more regularly.

what we have been up to

Hmmm... let's see. where to begin with our updates. Bullet style maybe?

• Home search officially on hold. We have narrowed down the city we want and now will wait to do anything. We would like to get more equity in our home and also save a little more towards a down payment and by waiting a tad longer, won't have to make Hunter transfer schools. He is towards the end of his freshman year and I believe that as long as he starts his senior year there, if we moved part way through, he could continue going there as long as he had his own transportation. Unless we get really antsy. He has said he'd be open to switching schools but we'd like to not have to have him do that if possible.
• We did get blown away by the other builder that we saw a few weeks back. And, funny coincidence is that he lives at the far end of our current street. Crazy coincidence, right? We have since emailed back and forth a few floor plans, so the hope is that we pick out the house, know the price point and in time, just need to find the lot.
• My Brother in Law and his family are moving to the city we want to move in. Will be so nice to have our kids grow up so close to each other. I love the development they are looking at too. (I wonder if Sean would be opposed to living THAT close to each other? haha- I doubt it)
• Quinlin has been adorably sweet the last few weeks...and then all of a sudden today- diva bitch mode. I'm hoping she maybe just doesn't feel well.
• The weather here has been amazing the past few days. 80* and sunny. I'll take it. We have been outside every night playing with the kids and not coming in until dark. It's been amazing. No tv- just family time.
• Hunter is struggling with his grades. I cannot wait until this grading period ends so he can have a fresh start. I feel like I am so mean because I am so completely on him about his grades. I can't help it- I know he can do better.
• On Tuesday night, he shaved his "mustache" for the first time. OMG- did I just say he had a mustache???? tee hee hee... just the little hairs growing at the corners of his mouth. Sean and Hunter's buddies started calling him Sanchez, so he knew it was time to finally do it. He was so excited- it was adorable.

and- what's a post without pictures???

 we went to a local park the other day. Sean and Owen decided to fish... Owen kept saying he thought he caught something. Poor little guy only had a bobber- no hook or bait. Oops.

Matching shirts. Love them!

Looking forward to the weekend! Girls night tonight and date night tomorrow. Yay!

The Croup

We had Quinlin's birthday party on Sunday and I cannot wait to post the pictures, but the memory card reader I bought for my camera doesn't work. So- will post as soon as I have access to the pictures. In the meantime, I have been reminded what it was like when we had a newborn and all the sleepless nights. Owen has croup- again. He had a slight barky cough Sunday night and then Monday night it was full blown croup. Croup so bad that I almost took him to the pediatric emergency room as he was shaking uncontrollably and couldn't catch a breathe. He calmed down for the most part after 2 hot showers and a trip in the cold air. I took him to the doctor on Tuesday and he was given the steroid to take. The steroid has made him better, but the side effects, not so fun. Nightmares. Last night was our first nightmare we've had to deal with. He woke up around 3am crying and said in his dream, daddy left him. Sean, feeling horrible, spent the rest of the night in his bed.

Quinlin then woke up at 5:15 ready to watch Dora. No pretty lady. 5:15 is not acceptable so I laid her down and got her back to sleep. Thank goodness these nights are few and far between. I think the bags under my eyes are quite large and not something I would like to keep around.

Hoping for a good night sleep tonight. My poor house is a wreck as by the time we're done with dinner, we just want to relax, and go to bed by 9pm. Thank goodness for the DVR.

How I am ending 2011

I was supposed to take this week off for some "me" time. I had shopping ventures planned, lunches with friends. Instead of my kids going to daycare as planned, i have had all three of them home almost all week with me....and I couldn't have "planned" it any better. Working full time, I miss the simple joy of just playing in the morning or making breakfast or playing in the snow. This may not have been how I planned my week, instead much better!

I will catch up the blog after the holiday with pictures of what we have been doing Until then, happy new year. Hoping for health and happiness in 2012!

MIA

Things have been so busy for me work wise that my blogging has been taking a back seat. I have been out of the office a ton running errands, getting projects done, overseeing construction. I have been loving it and my day has been flying, I have just been slacking in keeping track of things going on personally.

We had a great weekend. Friday night we looked for homes for my mother in law. I brought her to the home I loved, but it was too small so off the list it went. We then saw another home in the area, but it didn't have a basement, so off the list it went. I have been so busy work wise, that I haven't even been looking to see what else is out there. After that, we had a sitter and went to dinner and then to the driving range. Saturday was our annual Mikeapalooza party. 3rd year in a row we have celebrated our buddy Mike's divorce. the day started with 18 holes of golf (scramble). I was one of 2 girls golfing- and did horribly but had fun. After golf, we went to my friend Kelli's house to shower and then off to Mike's house for a party. We had a blast- but I was absolutely beat. To be gone from 9am until 1am made for a long day. And I missed the kids. Sunday we were a complete waste. I think I slept half the day away. My parents came over to see the kids (took Hunter to see Harry Potter) and other than that, it was totally uneventful.

Today is finally Quinlin's 18 month well visit. I cannot wait to get her stats!

Updates

So- Tuesday was a stressful turned not stressful day. The plan for the day was to go to work, leave at 2:30, pick up my kids from daycare, go to my friend Kelley's parents house where we would see our friend Michelle and her husband Chad who was in town visiting from Seattle (he's on Army leave), then run to Quinlin's 5:30 18 month well visit, then meet Sean's siblings over at a house that my friend Megan and I liked for Sean's parents at 7pm.

The day didn't turn out as planned. That morning, I got a text from Kelley saying her basement flooded at their house and she had to go there and clean up so to get the new plan from our friend Amanda in regards to Michelle's visit. Amanda was working during the day so wasn't going to see Michelle until 4:30. So- I knew it didn't make sense to drive down there and chalked it up to not seeing them this time through. So- I worked my normal time until 3:30 and grabbed my kids at 4 and we came home for about an hour or so. Just as we were about to leave the house, I checked the answering machine and we received a message that Quinlin's appointment was cancelled due to her doctor being sick. grrrr... thank god I checked the messages- I don't always do that. So- instead of heading to the appointment and getting our dinner at Boston Market (we love eating there and there isn't one close to our house so our tradition has been to grab dinner after each doctor's visit), we popped a digiorno pizza in the oven and hung around at home.

We were overly eager to see the house again and pulled into the house appointment with 20 minutes to spare. Thank goodness I saw the current home owners leave. The house is absolutely adorable. It's on a somewhat main street, but tucked back in the woods on a drive way that is probably about 1/4 mile long. You cannot hear the traffic at all and the 2.4 acres is a nice retreat for Sean's parents. We walked through the house with the realtor, Sean's brother's family and Sean's sister. Everyone really liked it, but it does slope down a bit and Sean's brother was really concerned about water/ flooding issues. He has every right to be leery of it- especially after dealing with water issues in his own house- and I don't know the first thing about that kind of stuff. So- we were there about an hour and a half and we left slightly discouraged. We are going back on Friday with Sean's parents to see it one more time. If she likes it and thinks it's the one, we'll look into the inspections, etc to see if it is anything to worry about. It sounds like the homeowners are willing to do whatever it takes to get it sold, so hopefully any worries can be addressed and fixed.

and lastly... today is our anniversary. 4 years!!!! so- guess what I get to do tonight? Prance around in my wedding dress!!! will post pictures and an update tomorrow!

Grounded

As I mentioned here, Sean was out of town last weekend which meant that I had the pleasure of having 3 teenage boys playing/sleeping in my basement while I also watched my 2 under 2. Fun stuff... In that post, I referenced my wall art falling off the wall. I didn't think much of it at the time, until I got a phone call yesterday at work from Sean telling me that Hunter was now grounded. He asked about the art and I said that I had known it had fallen down. Well- Hunter lied about the situation and continued to lie...

we'll start from the beginning...pretty Crate and Barrel wall art...

Owen's little tykes basketball hoop

Though, for 8th grade boys, this innocent little basketball hoop is for the game, knee basketball.

The scratch behind the artwork that I saw Friday night...

The dent in the wall towards the floor when the artwork fell. I did not notice this at the time of the incident.

The corner of the artwork still displaying the chunk of drywall it took out from image above...



Now- accidents will happen, and our house is made to be lived in. I don't mind that. In fact, when we hung the art, I took a small chunk out of the wall as well by our level so we knew already we would have to do some patching. The issue is that Hunter told Sean that they took the artwork off the wall so it wouldn't break or cause any damage in case they got too rough... I knew for a fact they didn't take it off the wall. I heard it fall. I didn't take the pictures of the damage they did trying to rehang it themselves either. After about 30 minutes, Hunter finally confessed. At what point do they learn that lying is not the answer? The punishment is always more severe than if you just tell the truth.

Well- Sean took away Hunter's cell phone and PS3 for the month. Hunter, the good kid that he is, felt guilty and unhooked his ATT Uverse box from his room, handed over his remote and also his ipod. We did let him keep his kindle- it promotes reading, so I don't mind that. He also has to help clean the house every night- last night he cleaned his room, cleaned his bathroom and vacuumed the living room and upstairs hallway. On the flip side, I may get a clean house after all of this. And- we're not that cold hearted... if good behaviour, he'll get some of his privileges back early. and, I'll let him watch the Super Bowl. Fingers crossed he learns his lesson.

And- since this is such a debbie downer post... can I just post a pic of my little diva?

I now have realized why I should have bought shoes earlier- to match her bows!

Man Down

Well- I took Quinlin to the doctor yesterday and it was only teething. I felt like such a newbie parent because I brought her in, but with Owen on antibiotics now due to the sinus infection and strep and with Quinlin having the temperature of 101 the night before, I thought better be safe than sorry. So- teething was the diagnosis and I walked out with my tail between my legs. On my way out, I realized that I forgot to get her blood redrawn from when she had her 9 month check and tested slightly anemic so baby girl and I went to the blood lab. She was so good! They normally lay the babies down but someone had passed out so the table was being occupied so Quinlin and I sat in a chair and they prepped her arm and she was a champ! She didnt make one peep- just stared at the medical worker as he put the needle in her arm and drew her blood. I was so proud of her!

Also- to highlight- baby girl is 23 pounds. Holy cow! Though looking back in my records, when Owen was one, he was just slightly lighter. I had been guessing she was around that weight but it was confirmed. And- she's only 7 pounds less than Owen- yikes!

We came home to find that Sean had left work early and gone to the doctor's office as well and has now been diagnosed with strep. Lovely. Thank god I am on antibiotics from when I had my oral surgery last week as I am protected. So- Sean layed around the rest of the afternoon and milked his illness with all he had recovered.

On a good note- aside from my sickies at home- Owen went to bed last night- and STAYED in there! I was so excited! My first full night of sleep since Sean left for his fishing trip in December. He tried to stay up longer- dragging out bedtime with "I'm hungry" or "I'm thirsty" or "I cant find binky" but I tucked him in and left his room. He came down the hall and Sean told him to get to bed- and he did. We didnt see him again until this morning when we had to wake him up for school. Yay Owen!!!!

And- the Buckeyes won- Hunter lasted until 11:30 watching it and conked out just until the end. I hate that these bowl games are on a weeknight. Luckily- he packed his lunch and laid his clothes out, so he didnt have to set his alarm until 7am to get a little bit more sleep. Hopefully he'll go to bed early tonight to recover.

Tell All Tuesday

My random thoughts for the week:

• I cannot wait for election day to be over... I hate all the commercials, phone calls, fliers in the mail. I dont read or listen to any of it. I find that I am not really concerned about political issues, though I guess I should be.
• I hate if people have a question, they dont just come to you...why go to someone else if you have the answer. vent over.
• Why am I the only one who knows how to load, run and empty the dishwasher? frustrating.
• My Fantasy team is getting better... won again this week. Though- it wasnt much of a win since my opponent didnt change out her players who she had on a bye. But- a win is a win, so I will take it.
• Had my cavity filled last night. I really hate going to the dentist. It was just awful... the novocaine started working when I got home... a little too late.
• Hunter needs a new cell phone. His screen broke and now he cant see texts. To the world of a teenager, I think he feels like his life is over until he gets his new phone. He has this phone for almost a year before breaking it... I feel bad, but he's paying for half of his new phone.
• I think Hunter is getting straight A's. I cannot wait for his report card to come out. He worked really hard this quarter and even took a few advanced level courses. It's getting to the point where I can't even help him with his homework as some of it is more advanced for what I know. Thank goodness for calculators!
• My babies are getting big! Hunter is really off in his own little independent world. Owen talks up a storm and is in a total mommy phase and Quinlin just moved to her big girl car seat...more on that tomorrow.

Quinlin is 9 Months Old

Happy 9 month birthday baby girl (ok two days late)! I cannot believe that she is almost a year old! Time is flying- yet almost standing still at the same time. I dont know if it's because she's my last baby, but I am trying to cherish every moment, a little more so than I did with the others. I look at her and still see my little baby, refusing to acknowledge I think that she's growing up. For example- it's time to start bringing out the convertible car seat. No more infant carrier- could she really be that big? Yes...

We went to her 9 month well visit last night. I was glad we had an appointment scheduled, especially with getting over this ear infection and now learning that she's allergic to amoxicillin (not sure if I posted about this before, but we got a call on Monday that she had completely broken out in a rash). Glad to have had the appointment and had her looked at. Still some fluid in her ears from the infection and the rash is almost gone.

For the stats- my little chunky monkey!!!

• Weight- 20 pounds, 4 oz (75%)
• Height- 26 3/4 inches (25%)
• Head- 16 3/4 inches (10%)

So- she is short, fat with a small head! I seriously thought she was getting taller too! It's neat to look back on where the other kids were (I wish I kept better records when Hunter was a baby). Owen, at 9 months, was 20 lbs, 3 oz and 28.5 inches so about the same weight but taller. At 6 months, Quinlin was 17 pounds, 2 oz and 25 inches. She's definitely growing!

• She has two teeth (bottom front). still waiting on others to pop through.
• She still is in size 3 diapers
• She is now wearing 9 month and 12 month clothing. It's fun to dress her up in all her new outfits (I think I'm going for best dressed baby in her baby classroom).
• She still is on the same eating schedule (4 bottles a day with 5 oz in each and 3 meals a day) and still goes to bed between 8:30-9:00pm each night sleeping until we wake her at 6:30am to go to school or waking up naturally on her own around 7 or 7:30am on the weekends.
• She is not crawling yet, but scootches herself around. She rocks a bit but cant figure out how to get moving. I have a feeling though that this month may show us a bit of mobility.

This was a rough month for her between fevers, the ear infection, the rash, diarrhea... gotta love daycare. But- she's come through all of it being as happy as can be. I seriously can not ask for more- 3 happy, HEALTHY children and a comfy little life. I am truly blessed.

(I had to repost this pic because she looks so stinking cute)

This is from this morning. I tried to get a quick picture of her. She smiled once and then tried to crawl away...

Have a great day!

Quinlin turns 7 months and Owen turns 2!

Lots of milestones happening in our household. First, Owen turned 2 years old! I say this with every age post, but I seriously dont know where the time has gone. I look at Owen and he no longer is a baby and yet, doesnt even feel like a toddler. He is a little boy! He is the sweetest, most loving, troublemaker ever. First the stats:

Weight- 27 pounds 15 ounces (50%)
Height- 35 inches (65%)
Head- I think she said 18? But it was 50%

When Owen was born, he started out tall and thin and then one day, he was short and chubby. it was nice to see his stats this time around and see that he has, not only thinned out, but has grown as well.

This past year has been full of excitement for Owen. He started walking, running, eating everything, playing outside, playing more independently, etc. He seems to say a new word everyday, words that I have no idea how he knows, it's hilarious. We can have full conversations now and I can understand what he wants. The tantrums have settled down as I think before he was more frustrated that we couldnt understand him. He loves to climb on everything, jump on everything, fall on everything. I have a feeling the emergency room will be one of our routine stops down the road. He loves to play, to cook, and to love. He loves to ask "why" to questions and when he gets the answer, he adorably says "oh". he loves to call your name over and over again and when you answer say "hi" and he loves to be loved. Owen- we have so much love for you- you make us so proud to be your parents!

Then there is Quinlin- 7 months old today. I need to take her monthly picture after work. Not too much happening developmentally for baby girl between last month and this month. She sits more- still a tripod like sit but she is getting stronger. She is very aware of her surroundings and always needs to be "in the know". I think she may have a future in hoppywood gossip! I like to refer to her lately as nosey nelly! The changing table, for example is in her room so if I need to change Owen or grab a diaper, I quietly sneak in there if she's sleeping. as soon as I walk in, she suddenly pops her head up to see what's going on.

Quinlin still is rolling like crazy. we place her on her blanket in the living room and find her completely off it, in a totally different direction. She loves to be on her tummy and lifts her arms and her butt but hasnt figured out how to do it all at once yet. I dont think crawling is too far off, but dont think she's really showing an interest yet. Owen didnt crawl until just before he turned a year, so I dont think anytime soon for Quinnygirl either. And- I certainly dont want to rush her. She's my last baby, I dont mind if she stays a baby a little while longer.

Hunter started cross country practice this week. I'm so glad. It gets him out of the house, gets him to see his friends, and gets him active again. Since his bout with pneumonia, he had a horrible summer so its nice to see him able to do things again. He didnt get to practice at all this summer though, so he's finding his times are pretty slow and he's behind the pack. I hope to see him show signs of improvement between last year and this year. we'll see.

And- to top everything off, sickness continues. First, Hunter with pneumonia in July. Then, Owen got croupe. Who was next? Sean... with strep. I have slept the past two nights on the couch so I can "attempt" to stay healthy. Sadly, I have gotten some fantastic sleep.

Cant have a birthday post without a picture. Here's Owen- at 2. Such a charmer!

More pictures to follow when I actually download them.