Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Hablas Espanol?

So....the kids are really picking up Spanish. It's totally nuts.....but because this blog USED to be a place where I'd document all things and has lately just been collecting dust.....I am going to record their adventures in learning Spanish. Ivonne can't be a part of their lives forever....unfortunately. I think we've convinced her to stay another year with us. I pray that is the case anyway. We will keep the kids immersed in Spanish always.....so this is the start of their learnings. :-)

Words learned since Ivonne arrived on Oct 21st, 2011
Agua- Water
Pan- Bread
Uvas- grapes
Leche- Milk
Fruta- fruit
Pajaro- Bird
Elefante- Elephant
Boca- Mouth
Cabeza- Head
Ojitos- Eyes
Orejas- Ears
Dientes- Teeth
Manos- Hands
Pies- Feet
Nariz- Nose
Chichi- pee pee
Cuantos Anos Tienes?- How old are you?
Como te llamas?- What is your name?

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Somebody Pinch Me...

That's what way I feel these days.
Seriously.
Yep, I'm sleep deprived b/c Ruby girl is going through a little phase of waking a TON at night.
And yes, we've entered the terrible two's where both say "uppy" all day long wanting to be held OR have a meltdown over the teeniest little thing (Hello, how could I put water in THIS cup not THAT cup and without ice? Ugh, the little specifics)

BUT.....the pure JOY of being a mom, and not just a mom to any children but to MY 3 children is overwhelming.
They are so incredible.
Little people that Blake and I get to wake up to each day. Smiley Ruby, cuddly Hudson and chatty Harper. I'm greeted literally EVERY MORNING with the biggest hug from Hudson as he wraps his arms tightly around my neck when I lift him out of his crib. Harper quickly scrambles to her feet and says "Good Mornin, Good Mornin". And Ruby, sweet Ruby is usually all smiles with her chubby face poking out of her tighly swaddled body.
We have been so incredibly blessed with our au pair, Ivonne. I'm not convinced that she is real. She seriously just laughs and shrugs off the meltdowns the twins have or the fit Ruby has...she just seriously fits into our family and makes us so happy.

Yes, there are days when we collapse on the couch after putting all 3 in bed and look at each other in disbelief. They are exhausting. And we do get frustrated. But overall, above everything I feel like I'm the luckiest woman alive. I do feel like I need to be pinched...this is really MY life!


Thursday, January 26, 2012

A post for Ruby Anna


4 months old already.
Seriously...where does the time go?

My- er... OUR Ruby Anna is a true joy. This child wakes up smiling and cries when hungry or tired. That's it.
Extremely happy and loving baby.....our world is so incredibly blessed. Ruby loves to be tickled, loves to be bounced and loves to be sung to. Any song will do....she just loves hearing voices.

Ruby had her 4 month Dr appointment yesterday, 16.2lbs which is 90%'th percentile for weight! Height is 26inches and she is all around healthy.
Developmentally, she's so smart and strong. She loves the Bumbo, lately has taken to the Jumperoo and can push WAY up when on her tummy. She loves her hands....wants them in her mouth non-stop. Sadly, she'd probably love Sophie the Giraff but everytime we get it out for her....the twins highjack it. Poor Ruby, all of her toys are not very interesting to the curious 20-month old twins that are always poking, kissing, "helping" her.

I love this phase, her awareness has really changed and she is constantly looking around in amazement at the busy life around her.

Lastly, sleep! She's rocking 12 hours at night. Sometimes she wakes up for her "chupo" or "cupo" as Harper calls it (pacifier for the non-Spanish speakers). And sometimes she needs a few ounces in order to doze back into Rubyland. But she's a pretty amazing sleeper!
We feel so blessed. It's incredible how after a long day of work or a rough night of sleep....the faces of our children wipe away everything. Life is quite amazing for us.....counting our blessings daily!

The picture collage is from Ruby's 4 month birthday...complete with a celebratory trip to the Dr for shots :-(

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

January 11 (2010 vs 2011)

Last year on January 11th......

This year! What a difference 1 year can make!!!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Home Sweet Home

There is too much to update on and too little time. My kids are talking machines. Santa, Ho Ho Ho, I love you, Baby.......the list goes on and on and on.
I love that each day, a new word is spoken from those two little mouths. Keeps us laughing constantly at how adorable they are.
And Ruby.......she's the happiest, chubbiest, smiliest (is that a word) baby. Ever! I love this little chunker so much....she is so pretty, and alert and happy. She's such a joy.....we love her more and more every day. Not just Blake and I, but big brother and sister too!

Ok, on to the update. Our home is done. It's got a few tiny little things here and there to do like knobs, outlet covers, etc........and of course decorating. But the project is 98% done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Without further adieu.......some pictures!!!!!











Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Picture Post!

Smurf Family on Halloween 2011

Baby Smurfette

Playing SO nice together.....for the second anyway!


Extreme Daddy Close- Up


Little Yogi's....practicing Downward Dog


Harper accessorizing


Proud BIG brother


The twins in their Columbia shirts, gifts from Ivonne


The 3 deer in headlights look.....Ha!


Happy Baby!


Giddy Up Kingston


Bathing Beauty


Oreo Smiles


We learned these two are the perfect pair....Hudson loves the cookie and Harper loves the creme!


Scary flash! Us on Thanksgiving!


Holding hands on the way home from Grandma's.....I love this!


Friday, November 11, 2011

Coming Up For Air....

Whew......has it been THAT long since I posted last?

Oh boy...life is busy. Scratch that....nuts....but we're having fun!

House is coming together beautifully! We are LOVING having an extra (almost) 2000 square feet of living space. I can't remember what life was like when we lived in the current house only. Wow!

The basement is open for business....it's TOY CITY down there. Toys, swing set, music.....about 800 square feet of open space for the two little one's to run, jump, dance and burn off some of their energy.

So much to update on the kiddo's.....where to start?

Ruby is doing amazing. This little peanut was topping the scales at over 12lbs when she was only 1 month! GULP!

She is eating a ton (4-6 oz per bottle) and just started sleeping for longer stretches which makes me a very happy mommy. Last night she slept from 9:30pm-4:30am!!!

She is smiling now, I believe it's not involuntary but on purpose. She gets very excited and kicks her little legs when you talk to her.

She loves the bath!

She is really, really strong. She was 6 weeks when she started sitting up in the Bumbo chair! She likes it too...it allows her to look around.

We go in next week for an ultrasound on her hips....she has metatarsus adductus which basically means she was positioned in utero where her feet were quite squished. Therefore, she has a pretty severe "turn in" with her feet and so we have to do exercises with her feet every diaper change. The Dr then thought we should check out her hips because with the metatarsus adductus.....hip dspylasia is also common. Ugh!

I'll post more on Miss Ruby's toes too.....but we have an update on that front as well.

All in all......this baby girl is a true gift and answer to our prayers. She is so beautiful, cuddly, lovey, and brings SO much joy to us. She just needs to stop growing so fast!!!!!


The Twins

They are loving their little sister.....Hudson especially. He can't be left alone with her....EVER! He just can't contain himself and wants to smother her with kisses!

They are really starting to talk.....Harper's vocabulary expands daily. It's unreal. From all I've read, girls do speak a bit earlier than boys and that's been true in this case. Not worried about Hudson, he's catching on daily. His sister is giving him a run for his money.....she is really a talker!!!

Their top words are mommy and daddy....

Hudson says: mommy, daddy, dog, bee, hot, banana (nana), Hi, Bye Bye, Baa (sheep)

Harper says: water, agua, mommy, daddy, me, Hudson, Sister, Dog, Hot, More, Milk, Up, No, Please, banana, apple, Uvas (grape in spanish), Hi, Bye Bye

I'm sure I missed a ton....because basically every word you tell her to say, she says.

Other than talking a ton.....we've entered into a tantrum phase. UGH! Hudson gets VERY frustrated lately and is physical. He hits the object or hits anything in his path....but it's usually contained to that physical act. Harper on the other hand, she throws a tantrum that lasts FOR.EV.ER!!!

We've been ignoring them....but I"m not sure it's helping. I jumped on Amazon this week and ordered "Happiest Toddler On The Block" because I'm beside myself! It's pretty rediculous how upset she gets....over nothing!

So, the good and the bad. We're working through it. There have been a lot of changes in our home: home remodel, new baby and so I have to believe that they've suffered a little stress with the changes.


Lastly......our last BIG change is that we have a new family member! Ivonne is our new au pair and arrived to our home on Oct 21st from Bogata, Columbia. She is awesome! Ivonne is a kindergarten teacher in Columbia but wanted to better her English so she decided to become an au pair in America for a year. We matched with her in August and though we had to say a VERY sad goodbye to our wonderful auntie Katie who was with us every Wed and Fri and our amazing Steph who was with us Mon, Tue and Thurs. this arrangement has been great.

Ivonne lives in the basement bedroom and with the remodel, we were able to give her her own bathroom and living space. She is awesome with the kids and it's been SO fun having her teach us about her culture. The kids have started picking up spanish already. I feel very fortunate to have help with me all of the time! We're getting her accostumed to American living....we've hit up the Mall of America (which blew her away), Target several times and have introduced her to all kinds of new foods including peanut butter. Can you imagine a life without peanut butter??? She didn't know what she was missing!

We've had some good laughs. Last night when I asked her to grab Hudson another fork....she gave him more beans, a napkin and then finally a fork because we couldn't communicate the correct item. Ha!

Her english is really good....but every once in a while we get stuck in trying to communicate which ends up in a ton of laughter!



Lots of changes! A BIG picture post next time with Halloween pics of the adorable kids and pics of beautiful Ruby Anna!