Week two 3 appointments

Andre made the sign for Everett's arrival.

The Crews made this.

Jeff got him this onesie "tough guy"

My attempt at keeping Clara  away from the TV. It worked for five minutes.

My amazing team came to visit!!! Love them...tons! They have helped me a lot in my time of need. They are amazing people and friends. I'm thrilled to be teaching with them when I return to work. Not so thrilled it will be 5th grade, but it will be worth it to be able to work with them again!! 

Katie, Russ and Mary 

Russ is familiar with WNY. That is how I got to know him for the first time at work, he was wearing a Buffalo Bills jersey during the 'say no to drugs' week when we have wear your favorite team shirt. ️I knew then he was my kinda peep.

My previous third grade team members made this onesie for Everett. I work with a lot of wonderful people!

Andre teaching Clara how to golf.

"show mama" is what Clara always says when daddy teaches her something new.

The big Nemo fish Nancy got for Clara that we finally got in the pool! Thank you Nancy!

My sweetest coming over to be an extra set of hands! Thank you my love!

This picture was clearly not from this past week, but our friends Dave and Julie got Everett this monogrammed blanket we love!

Dada caught this dragonfly and Clara wanted to hold it too! (Show mama)

Grocery shopping with daddy!

On Friday, Tiffany took Clara for a few hours in the morning so she could socialize and I could have a break. Wouldn't you think the mommy of four would need a break?

Julia is so adorable! And of course Tiffany has them in matching bows! It seems like Clara was just wearing that dress Julia is in. Too big. :(

New toys!

When I got there, Clara was so excited to see Everett. However was very content playing with her cousins, not ready to leave at all!

Everett finally meeting his cousins! We didn't stay long, but these sweet boys have been waiting patiently to meet the new addition! Tyler has been praying for Everett and I am so glad they finally got to meet him. He will have lots of boys to teach him anything Clara leaves out.

Bubble guppies and Dora both have cowgirl episodes. Each time they come on we watch them while riding horsy adorned with her cowgirl hat! Can't wait for the boots someday…

It has been raining here nonstop. Our backyard is flooded all the time it seems. Clara is getting some good use out of her cute raincoat that Corrie's mom got her.

"Hold brother please"

I was folding laundry and Clara decided to make two of my shirts her new dress.

We gave Brother a bath. It is midmorning but looks like nighttime. I love these days here, especially since it's hard for me to get outside anyway. I feel less guilty about being inside. I can also nap if/when these two do a lot better when it is a rainy day.

Kinect sand

Peter and Cortney came over this past weekend and brought both kids neat toys. Everett got some tiger clothes and a cool hand puppet that Clara is obsessed with. Clara got a new drawing board!

They bought champagne to celebrate Everett's homecoming. Steven and Tiffany had a babysitter and came over to celebrate with us! Thank you Peter & Courtney for everything, and thank you Tiffany and Steven for joining in on the fun!

Kylie and her cute new boyfriend! Can't wait to meet him!

We met Merrissa at the park on Saturday morning. It was a bust. Everything was all muddy and wet, and most of the park only had big high climbing apparatuses or apparati (not sure)  that we do not want our little ladies on. Everett was hot and cranky so I neglected to get a picture of the cuties playing. Thank you for coming for such a short stint my love.

Elsa is excited to visit! We can't wait to see you sweet pea!

Having Clara play with bubbles and her toys not only occupies her while I do the dishes, but it cleans her tray, cleans her toys, and keeps her happy!

We went to Everett's two month check up on Monday. He gained 2 ounces. He is still not consuming the quantity we would hope. I am glad that he didn't lose weight, but I'm still nervous about his eating. We are increasing the calories he is in taking by adding some formula to the breastmilk he is eating. Hopefully that helps. I have his and Clara's stats I have been meaning to post, I never posted her 18 month checkup results.

On Tuesday we went to his speech therapy consult. She observed him eating and said that we only will need to schedule if we need something. I guess he will continue to see a therapist for speech around one-year-old.

Today, the lady from early steps came to set things in place. I will take him there for in an evaluation on 13th of August. Then he will see a teacher about once a month unless he needs more interventions which she did not foresee. This program will hopefully close any gaps in his milestones that we notice along the way. They will follow him and help us until he is three years old.

Brandi, Linny, Elsa, Ana, Theresa, Jonny and Betsy are all visiting this weekend! Can't wait. It's Iike Christmas.

2 months - 21 months pics added

Your daddy bouncing you to sleep. Your acid reflux is bothering you a lot lately. :(

Jumbo bear measurement. Clara for size too! I had to bribe her to sit "still". 

Kiss!

Yep. Thanks sissy! 

Oops

My sweet boy 

Almost caught his big smile. He is smiling a lot more but I've yet to catch a picture!

Whatcha got there sissy?

Oh no, a bit close with that knee

Handsome 

Clara remembers she has a brother from time to time and will go tell him all sorts of stories. 

Your happy place in your swing.

Our speech appointment in the am, you slept on the way there and took this paci when you woke, you usually don't but I keep trying. The therapist said it looks like were doing well so unless we need her for feeding help you probably won't need to see a speech therapist again until around 1 year old when language begins more. 

Happy 2 months baby brother! Everett you are amazing. You're so cute and sweet. We have lots of conversations, mostly with your eyes, (although you coo a ton too) your mouth moves like you're trying to say things. Often times coo's will come out, you're very social, but your eyes tell it all. You enjoy tummy time with a small pillow under your chest. If you're flat on the floor you don't last very long before you get frustrated. Clara brings me your pillow when you are flat and fussing about it, she wants you to be happy! You will lay on your back forever. You kick your arms and move your legs nonstop. You're so active, just like your big sister was. You're not easy to hold. You're a mover and a shaker. You fight sleep but once you're out, you're a pretty sound sleeper. You wake and groan and stretch a ton. You sleep in your swing. You are getting used to your car seat a little bit, sometimes you cry and sometimes not. Lately you do for a bit and give up and fall asleep. Sometimes you won't cave and cry a lot, I hate it, I feel so bad for you. You stay asleep in your car seat when I bring you in so I know you can sleep holding still without swinging, so that's good. I have no idea if you're eating enough. I'm not writing the amounts down anymore, it was making me crazy and I was worrying too much. I trust that you eat enough, I do push you when you're sleepy to stay awake but I don't ever want to force you to wake and eat like I had to in the hospital, I didn't like doing that to you. You're patient. When you need something and cry, I talk to you and tell you I'm coming and you stop crying and wait for me. Your gas and reflux make you uncomfortable. You're as handsome as can be, I love you.

My cowgirl! I can't wait until you rock somebody! You may never go to Jambo! Ever.

Such a comedian 

You love to sing and dance 

Some selfies-- you are my best friend, I hope you always will be!

You're so sweet and so funny...and exhausting. 

Your happy place: Dora, Nunu, you just need a smoothie.

8 gloves on one hand, I tried to stop you at four, what was I thinking?

Mommy got crazy and we mixed the colors!

You have been soooo helpful lately you were rewarded with a sucker! Thanks Sio for vitamin C pops. We brushed with your new Dora brush after! 

Clara you're such a great big sister. You love your brother so much. You want him to come with us when we go places, you want him to play, you want him to wake up when he's sleeping and you tell him that WAY too loud when he is fast asleep and sometimes he listens and wakes to play. When he cries you come get me even though I'm well aware. You'll say, "Baby's cryin' - it's okay baby, I know" -- since I always say, "I know" when you're sad and crying. You're so creative lately. You hold complete conversations with all your "friends". You love playing with your doll house the most and are really into creative play. You get really frustrated when the dada doesn't sit in his chair without falling over. You know what you want to happen and when it doesn't you tend to freak out. Sometimes you'll calmly ask for help but most of the time you throw a tantrum and throw whatever it is you're mad at across the room. Then you say, "poor dada, poor chair" for example, and kiss them and start all over calm. You are speaking in broken sentences and words still. You'll say things like, "Mama come too, Nunu seat belt safe, I watch Dora peez," and SO much more. It's not likely that we don't understand you, you speak very clear. Your "l's" and "r's" are the hardest for you. We practice the "l" by putting your tongue between your teeth which you do, but then you don't try and make the sound. Dada has you reading words now. He'll write words on your board and then ask you which one is "mama", "nunu", "dada", "cat" etc and you get them really fast after a couple tries. You can read your books to us now, your favorite ones we have read a lot, you can tell me what the "words say" on each page. Clearly you're not reading the words yet but you remember what they are, from us reading it so much. You can read the entire book correctly by looking at the pictures. You sit still and read with us now, you do the best before bed since you'd rather read then go to bed. You HATE having your teeth brushed. We have to pin you down and you usually have to cry in order for us to get them cleaned. You have started covering your mouth and refusing to open. I let dada do that dirty work, but last night you let him no fuss. You haven't adjusted to dada holding Everett yet, you still get really jealous. You did when Doe held him today too. I'm glad you've adjusted to me holding him. When others are over you crave my attention more for some reason, when it's just us you're fine. Thankfully you're still so very sweet to Everett and just beg daddy to hold you a lot when he has his hands full. Everett has given you many presents lately to play with so you're content when I have to give him lots of attention when he eats. Guppies is still your favorite word, and show. You like "Oomie Zoomie and Dora" and you do learn from the shows although I wish I didn't have to have the TV on so much. You play very well by yourself for long periods of time. You really like to role play lately. You made one of my pumping materials a "ship" for Gil recently and you have the ship go up over a bridge which is the old play mat rings that go overhead. You like cars, tractors, trains, buses and anything you can make move but you get mad when the "people" don't stay in how you want them to. Nunu has to do everything you do and go everywhere you go. I'm getting very fearful of him getting lost, I don't know what we'd do. You want him to experience everything you do and you talk to him all day long. You tell him, "I miss you Nunu (when you haven't seen him in a few minutes), play, guppies, mama, dada, Doe, hi, how are you, sweet dreams (which sounds like "a dreams"). You warm up to people you don't know very well and are very silly. You know you're entertaining us and do it on purpose. You like to be the show and are so very adorable. You are using your manners almost all the time now on your own. You'll always bless me when I sneeze and get me a tissue. You like helping throw away diapers but struggle with the foot opener and say, "help" very frantic like you do when you want to be able to do something immediately on your own but can't. You say please and thank you regularly now. You haven't been counting things as much as you used to. You know all of your colors and tell us what color everything is all the time now. You're becoming a very picky eater. You need to carefully taste everything before it goes in your mouth, you used to just trust me and eat it all. You spit things out fast, before really trying them. I find you telling nunu, "Just try it, you'll like it, it's good" which sounds like, "Try it, like it, yummy" when you say it. I put all the pouches you won't eat or finish in your smoothies, you will eat anything I put in a smoothie thankfully. You're not eating nearly as much as you used to, you're more of a snacker which is fine by me as long as I can get you to eat. You eat most your food groups well but have been avoiding veggies which is my fault since I'm not cooking them much. I put them in your smoothies though. I think you might be getting your molers since you're drooling a bit, extra irritable at times, having diarrhea, AND you now say, "mouth hurts" and you've also said, "belly hurts" the last few days. We have to kiss everything that hurts, I've been kissing your mouth a lot lately which I love, but feel bad it hurts so much. I love that you can tell us how you're feeling now, SO helpful! Whenever you bump anything you say that body part over and over until we kiss it. If it is a pair, like a hand or a foot, we have to always kiss both. You purposefully make your animals fall and "bonk-a-head" so you can kiss them and say, "Poor ___________, (kiss), all better". You love your puzzles, reading, your shows, play-doh, your brother, teddy and nunu of course, swimming, your doll house, hair ties, beads, dancing/music, OUTSIDE, walks, parks, beach balls, the list is endless. You're sleeping through the night still thankfully. You nap for about 2 to 2.5 hours typically. You're my sweet baby girl and I love you with all I've got!

Pics soon!