Hattiesburg Trip

We just made it home from our annual Summer Hattiesburg trip. We go every year for about a week sometime during the summer. We have done this since Colby was a baby. Its nice to go for an extended time so we get to do more. Colby has been so excited about this trip! Let me back up to the first part of the week:
Colby spent Sunday night with my parents. They brought him home after lunch on Monday. Lindsay and I stayed home that morning and worked on getting packed up for the trip.
Tuesday I had Bible Study so my parents came to keep Lindsay and Colby and I went to that. Afterwards we rushed home to get last minute stuff done for our trip. We left about 3ish...Lindsay took a nap but Colby did not. Neither slept in the car. I guess they were both excited about their trip! We got in to Hattiesburg at about 5:15. We decided to go straight to somewhere to eat dinner. Austin's parents met us there. We ate at Rocket City Diner. Its a very casual, kid friendly place. Both kids were really tired though. Colby was so excited though about being with mawmaw and pawpaw. We left the restaurant and went to the apartment to get unloaded and unpacked. Colby wanted to go swimming. We figured while I put Lindsay to bed he could swim for about an hour. Austin's parents joined him and Austin out there. I hate that I miss out on some of this but Lindsay was exausted and honestly the quiet time wasn't that bad! Once Colby came in we got him ready for bed also.
Wednesday we were up and at em early. Shelbi and Maggie were coming to Hattiesburg for the day so Colby was anxious to get to their house to play. We went over there and had breakfast. The kids wanted to swim. We decided to leave Colby there and let him enjoy playing with the girls while we took Lindsay on some errands. We made it to Campus Book Mart to stock up on USM gear for the fall. Lindsay was melting down though so instead of more errands we just drove around. It was fun driving and reminscing. She slept through it all! Around 10:45 Austin dropped Lindsay and I back off at the apartment b/c it was nearing her lunch and naptime. He then went to a bounce place to meet his parents with Colby and the girls. From what he said Colby had a blast! Afterwards Colby went back to their house to spend the afternoon. We knew with the girls over there he would want to stay with them. Plus even if we brought him back to the apartment he probably would not have taken a nap. We enjoyed the quiet time though and resting. Once Lindsay woke up from her nap we went back over there though. You could already tell at that point Colby was getting tired. We ate a VERY early dinner...like at 4:30. Shortly after that we knew it was time to get both kids home. We had them both bathed by 6. Lindsay was in bed by 6:30 and Colby not far behind at 7. They both slept really well...well until 4am is when Colby got up. We just left him in bed with us since he and Lindsay were sharing a room. Usually we would not allow that but I would rather deal with him at 4am then a screaming, tired baby!
Thursday once we all got up we took our time getting ready. Since Wednesday was such a busy day we knew we wanted more time to rest. Once we all got dressed we went up to the mall. We got there so early though nothing was opened. We didn't stay long at all. We decided to run some other errands with both kiddos. By the time we got back in the car Lindsay fell asleep. I told Austin to bring her and I back to the apartment. He dropped us off and Colby and him went to his parents to visit for awhile. They came back around lunchtime. Once Lindsay went down the 3 of us had a pizza lunch then we all took naps! We could tell Colby was still exausted from the day before and his waking up early. That afternoon when everyone got up we went out to the country to Austin's sister's house. They live about 30 min outside of Hattiesburg. Colby was so excited to go out there. He loves riding the 4wheelers. It was a nice visit. I think Lindsay loved watching the big kids! Its hard going out like that b/c she gets tired so early so she was ready to go wayy before Colby. So we let him stay longer and come back with Austin's mom and dad. She probably could have lasted until 7ish but she missed her late afternoon nap all 3 days we were there so she was exausted. It worked out well though b/c we got her all bathed and put to bed so by the time Colby got home we just had to focus on him. It took him awhile to settle down and go to sleep though.
Friday morning we got packed up and headed home. It was a nice vacation, break, getaway but its always nice to get home too. Just SO much to do! Especially with 2 kids b/c the time of getting stuff done is so limited. Yesterday austin and I were so busy! That night we did get to hang out and eat dinner as a family of 4 which was nice though!
We had a blast and look forward to our next trip up there! Hattiesburg is always a nice visit and its so good to see Colby making memories he will remember forever! Now going to try and get back to a routine around here!

Circus & Weekend

Our weekend began Friday night with a trip to the circus! This was Colby's 2nd time to go! He has been to about 6 "shows" now. We took him for the first time last year. He has been talking about it ever since. He would randomly come up to me and ask me when we were going back to the circus. I knew since he had asked about it they we needed to bring him back. We decided to go to the Friday night 7 show just like last year. We knew there was no way we would bring Lindsay so we left her at home with my parents. Colby had a great time but I don't think he had as much fun as last year. He was really excited when we first got there but he quickly faded. He got antsy about 30 min into it telling us he was ready to go. He really liked the beginning when everyone came out and they sang the theme song. He liked the tigers and elephants and eating popcorn! We couldn't get him to eat anything else. I know now to feed him before he goes. Last year we all shared a pizza and he ate it pretty good but this year he would only take a bite or 2. He ate a bite of a hotdog but then requested popcorn. He did eat almost the ENTIRE box though! I am glad we took him and I think he did have fun he just gets tired of sitting I guess. He also talked us into a $20 toy! We figure this is part of his b-day. We did that last year as well. It was fun I treasure our nights out with just him! I think it makes him feel grown up and special! We didn't get in until about 10 so he was wound up! I think it was after 11 before he went to bed!
Saturday I had to go to Target! I hate shopping on Saturdays but with our busy week days lately I have had no other choice! We were out of everything! Shopping with 2 kids is no picnic either. But I do have to brag they both are really good its just more physically tiring I guess! After that we came home and relaxed. It was nice to just have some downtime with them!
Sunday we had church. It was just me and the kids which makes for a tiring momma but I am always so glad after we get there! I sat in church which was so nice! Our pastor is doing a series called "Stained Glass sermons" he is going throuh the stained glass windows and preaching about the different people in them. Its been really neat not only are the sermons inspiring but just really taking time to study the beautiful art in our church is neat. I honestly never looked at them that closely to even know who they were so its neat to really focus on them and now I will remember these sermons to go with the pictures! We did our usal lunch at McAlister's. Both kids do so well at church....they both seem to enjoy being there. Lindsay is so sweet in the nursery she never cries or fusses I think all the ladies just love her! She is like their little baby doll in her sweet pink smocked dresses! Omg can I say right now how much I love having a girl on Sundays?!? I am not one of those people who dress her up every day b/c I just don't see the point in her being dressed up to lay around the house and mess up expensive clothes so she only wears her fancy dresses on Sundays! I love picking out her outfits though! Anyway Colby is always a ham in his classes. I think he truly loves church though. I am thankful for the people who work with both my children each week and love them as their own! Well that afternoon we took naps and relaxed. After Colby's nap my parents came to pick him up so he could spend the night with them. He has been wanting to do that once a week since summer started. It was a nice relaxing evening. Austin mowed the yard and I took care of Lindsay. We had her in bed before 8 then it felt like we had so much time to ourselves! Usually Colby is not in bed until 9 and even then he sometimes comes out several times! The downtime was great but we did miss him! We are now trying to focus on getting packed for our trip to Hattiesburg! Stay tuned this weekend to see how our trip was! This will be our annual summer trip where we stay a few days! Colby is so excited!

Sunny, Summer Days

Well another week of summer is coming to a close! I can't believe that June is flying by! I am thankful Colby still has all of July and August! I know the days seem so long sometimes but I am thankful to be a stay at home mommy and make these sweet summer memories with my children!
Monday Austin was off so we wanted to do something special as a family. We took Colby and Lindsay to the Children's Museum. This was Lindsay's 2nd time to go. She always does so well when we take her out like this. The last time we went though she was still pretty small. This time she seemed to really take in stuff. She stayed in the stroller but loved looking around at all the kids and bright colors! Colby had an absolute blast! We gave him about 3 choices of what he would like to do and he chose the museum. He loves it there. His favorite thing is playing with the cars and trains at the train table. He even packed up some of his own cars to take. We pretty much let him do what he wants when we go. He grocery shopped and spent most of his time in the toddler room. He is really getting too big for the toddler room but he took his shoes off and ran around having a blast. We stayed until about noon. By that time we knew Lindsay was getting tired and I figured there was no way she was going to sleep in there. We left with intentions of going out to eat but she never did fall asleep in the car so she had been awake a long time. We decided instead to just pick up Chickfila. We came home and rested the afternoon. Its always so nice to have Austin here with us.
Tuesday I had Bible Study. It was the first week that I was able to go only the 2nd of the study though. Elizabeth invited me to go to one at Calvary. I usually either do Bible studies with our church or through mops but this last semester with having a newborn and learning to balance life with 2 kids I hadn't gotton back involved in one. I was so excited to go! Its nice to be back at my old church and be around many ladies that I have known just about my entire life. Its also nice to do something like this for myself and my spiritual growth. I feel like I am in a hard place right now with spiritual things. I have a hard time finding time for a quiet time...that is no excuse I could always wake earlier or stay up later but I just feel like I struggle with that time. I also work in our nursery at church so I am not involved in an adult Sunday School class and I often miss out on worship services. So all that to say I am very excited about starting this study. Its on Tuesdays for 1 hour so its really conveniant for me...its 10-11 in the morning which I like also. They offer childcare so I took Colby with me b/c I figured since he is out of school right now he would enjoy the time with other kids...I brought Lindsay to my parent's house b/c that is her lunch/naptime. Its not hard to get from their house to the church so its really not a big deal at all to have them in different places. I loved the study and it really convicted me. Colby also had a blast. I was so proud of my big boy for going into a strange place and doing just fine! After the study I promised him lunch at Chickfila before we picked up Lindsay. My friend Jenny and her 2 sons met us there along with Aunt Lizzie which Colby loved. Chickfila I swear will be our new once a week hang out! Its such a nice place to go. I feel like we can eat fairly healthy, its clean, and Colby can play before we leave! Win Win! We picked Lindsay up and ofcourse stayed for awhile so Colby could play.
Wednesday I decided that morning I would pack the kids up and we would visit the library. Colby had some books that needed to be turned back in anyway. I love taking them to the library. I have been taking Colby since he was not even 1. Its amazing how much he has learned too! He used to run around like a mad man but now he has learned you have to stay quiet. He loves to get on the computer and look at pbskids or nickjr. I don't allow him to get on the computer at home so he has no idea what he's doing he just likes seeing the characters from tv. He played in the castle clubhouse and we looked at books. I hated they weren't having a storytime but we still had fun! I am hoping to get him back to storytime soon but we have just been so busy this summer. I will definitely bring Lindsay in the fall when he returns to school since she will be 9 months which is about the age I started bringing C. The rest of the day we hung out at home until that evening. My friend Stefanie and her husband were in town for the night. We met up with them for dinner. We went to Mulate's. I had never been there before but it was really yummy! It was nice to get out and eat with no kids plus to catch up with old friends! I feel like we don't take as many date nights as we should but now I guess that Lindsay is older we should probably do that once a month! We had a great time and didn't get home until after 10. Colby was still awake when we got home it was hard to get him to wind down.
Thursday I decided to take the kids swimming at my parent's house. I try to do this once a week with them especially for Colby's sake. I know since swim lessons ended he has really missed getting in the pool daily. We got over there around 9:45. I decided to go on and take Lindsay in this time. I figured she might really like it even though last time she only lasted about 10 min. I was right! She LOVED it! She stayed in about 30 minutes this time. She splashed and kicked like she knew what she was doing! I think she will be a natural swimmer! So adorable! Plus I just love her ruffly Minnie Mouse suit she was wearing! Girl swimsuits are TOO fun! My mom got her out after about 30 min b/c she was just starting to fuss but we were also worried about her fair skin getting burned. My dad and Colby and I stayed in a little while longer. Soon we all went in and I fed Lindsay her lunch and got her down for a nap then we ate lunch. Colby always has so much fun playing over there. He usually captures my dad's attention and has him playing all kinds of crazy games with him! Its cute! My mom and I did some planning for church during that time which was good. We finally got home around 3ish. I was exausted...I let Colby unwind to some TV shows while I laid on the couch while Lindsay took another nap. Austin worked late again so it was me being super mom cooking dinner and bathing kids haha!
Friday we had a stay at home day. These are RARE in our house! We usually have to get out and do something! I have to admit it wasn't terrible though! I guess with all the running we have been doing we needed it! We mainly relaxed and took a walk. The walk was nice but it sure was HOT! Again it was nice to slow down and have that time with my 2 babies though! I know these days are crazy but I know I will miss them!

Father's Day Weekend

Well its hard to believe our weekend is already coming to a close! Its been a fun, but busy one! Friday night we just stayed in and enjoyed being together as a family. Saturday Austin had to work. It was planned to be a dull, boring day for me and the kids. I HAD to grocery shop b/c with swim lessons every day for 2 weeks it had been over 2 weeks since I had gone. I always dread grocery shopping days...I have since Colby was a toddler. He is actually really good in the store and so is Lindsay I just feel like they are boring days for him. Both kids do really well in the store but its also a lot of work. Having to haul them in and out then haul groceries in! So I was already exausted after all that and looking forward to some down time the rest of the day. Soon after we get home our power goes out! No storm nothing just it went out. Well I kept thinking surely it will come back on soon but NOPE. Austin came home since both I and Colby were freaking out a little about the situation! He helped me through the lunch hour which helped SO much! Its hard enough on a normal day sometimes to get everyone fed and put to bed but doing it in the dark with kids who were tired and now having no electricity! Well I got Lindsay down for anp she she surprisingly slept. Colby never did nap I guess the house was too quiet for him. During the whole naptime I kept thinking the power would come on any minute. Everyone we knew kept asking us if we wanted to leave but since Lindsay was asleep already and I really thought it would be back on pretty quickly I didn't see the point in dragging the kids somewhere at naptime. We stuck through it. It was finally 3 before it came back on! Colby was so excited! We both danced around! That afternoon we just hung out and waited on austin to come home. We had a low key evening around the house. I was glad we stayed home though considering the next 2 days were going to be so busy!
Sunday was Father's Day. Sunday holidays are always so busy it seems! We headed off to church which seems like quite a feat these days with 2 young kids. Sunday school went well. I got to sit in church with Austin which the last time was Mother's Day. We came home changed clothes, fed Lindsay then headed out the door to go eat lunch at my parent's house. Colby was excited to see everyone and go to Grammy's house! I fed Lindsay before we ate so we put her down for a nap during lunch. She only gets a short nap at church and we would usually put her down for a nap anyways so until she is older she will miss out on most of the festivities! We were able to enjoy lunch and visit. Colby for the most part is good about letting the adults visit. He will usually play or join in the conversation! Austin did take him swimming though for about 30 min which I think he enjoyed! He's such a fish! After they came in and changed clothes they heard Lindsay screaming. Poor dear got herself all worked up! I don't think she ever got a good nap in so she was really overtired! We left soon after that so we could all come home and relax. No one ever really got a nap so we all went to bed early! It was nice just spending the late afternoon as a family not doing anything special! I hope Austin had a good Father's Day and feels like he got some rest!
I am very thankful for my dad. He has taught me so much and continues to teach me. He's very patient and a Godly man. He always worked hard to provide for us. He always made sure we went to church. He still worries and takes care of everyone. We laugh b/c Colby acts just like him which is not a bad thing at all!

I am thankful for Austin. I have seen him grow such much being a father. He's always very patient and loving with our children. He works hard all day and still comes home and finds the energy to give baths and play a game of hide and seek! I love watching him play and roughhouse with Colby but then dance around with Lindsay! It will be fun raising a boy and a girl and seeing those relationships grow!

Swim Lessons Week 2

So Monday we started Week 2 of swim lessons. Colby is doing fantastic in them! I am so proud of all he has learned and what a big boy he has been. He has cooperated and done everything they told him to do! He really loves swimming! Maybe instead of a soccer team he will join a swim team in a couple years! He's had a blast I think! Its neat to see how much he has learned since last year! I think he can swim on his own they have definitely given him more freedom this year and he is doing more stuff with the older children then the ones younger then him now. He can dive in stay under water and then roll over to get a breath all on his own! He's very confident and comfortable in the water and that is neat to see!
Monday like I say swim lessons began. Austin was off that day and got to take him to lessons. I was glad Austin got to go and see him one time to see his progress. He usually tries to make atleast 1 lesson every year. Lindsay had her 6 month doc appointment so that was the reason he took Colby. Also because of the time is why we never took Lindsay. It was nice having Austin home on Monday. After swim lessons we enjoyed hanging out at home. Its nice when he is home though b/c he can take Colby outside or on errands with him and gives me a little break!
Tuesday Austin was back at work. My parents came over to watch Lindsay. We also had our housecleaner there that day so it was very hectic. After swim lessons my parents took Colby home with them. I was glad for the break b/c its just too hard to have him here when the house is being cleaned. They brought him back that evening. Lindsay and I enjoyed the down time but like I say its hard I like having my house clean but its hard to really get settled b/c I feel like I am constantly having to stay out of her way!
Wednesday Austin was off again which was nice. It really helps the week go by when he is off in the middle. We had a relaxing morning at home before the lessons. I took Colby while Austin stayed with Lindsay. Its nice when we get to take turns taking care of the kids. Colby had lots of spectators that day it was fun! My mom and dad came along with Randall and Elizabeth! I think he was so proud to show off all his skills to them! I thought all the people being there might distract him but he didn't lose his concentration at all! I am really thinking he may do really well in swimming. He hated soccer which doesn't surprise me he may not do well in "team" sports. He's very OCD and type A and also doesn't like kids in his personal space...I can see him maybe liking baseball but for now I can imagine football and soccer are out...who knows maybe he will change but for now I may try to get him into swimming and tennis? Maybe even golf? Well after swim lessons we enjoyed hanging out around the house again. We went to church that night. I am trying to get us back into the Wednesday night church routine. We haven't been since Lindsay was born. The thought of bringing an infant out there stressed me out...especially since she goes to bed so early. I figured though by this summer being 6 months old she might be more flexible and enjoy the different scenery. I am on a rotation of teaching TeamKid so I figured it was time for me to get back to that also! I think we all enjoyed it! It was nice Austin being off too that we got to go as a family. Usually he has to meet us there or doesn't get to come at all due to work. Lindsay stayed in the baby room with my mom. We used to have the ages split but we don't have enough workers to do that. I didn't want Lindsay in there with us...I figured it would be a distraction plus I didn't want her to get sick from being around older kids. She enjoyed the time I think. Colby was in the room with me. We had him, a new little boy Blake he was 4 1/2, Emily 5, and Jonathan who is 1 1/2. They all played well together. Our lesson was on eating good foods and so we had a snack of fruit! They seemed to enjoy that. We even let them play outside for a little while. It was good to get back but tiring. We didn't get in until about 7:30 so it was hurry up and bathe and everyone and put them to bed!
Thursday austin was back at work. Colby again had swim lessons. We enjoyed a quiet morning just us. I enjoyed not having to rush for anyone or anything. I had told Colby after swim lessons we could go to the mall and meet up with some friends but he told me no he didn't want to go. After lessons I really regretted just not making him go. He's pretty much just been going to swim lessons and coming home so we are getting really tired of these 4 walls lately. That afternoon both of us were grumpy. The change of pace and scenery would have been nice but we survived despite.
Friday was another quiet morning. This was the LAST day of lessons. Colby did so great! He never once complained or acted like he wasn't having fun. He concentrated and did his best every day. It just amazes me what a different kid it was then that little boy out on the soccer field who hated going each week and begged to leave! Swimming he just seemed in his element. I will miss going every day and getting to visit with Casee and Misty. I think Colby will miss it too but it will be nice to move onto different things! It will be interesting next year when Lindsay takes her first year of lessons. I can't believe next year I will have an almost 5 year old and 1 1/2 year old. Lindsay and I will have to do the parent and child classes and then Colby will continue in the big boy classes. So I will be quite busy with all these swim lessons! After lessons we picked up Subway and came home to eat and relax. His friend Max came over this afternoon. This is just what Colby has been needing. Someone to play cars with and run around. I will probably offer to do this once a week now that swim lessons are over. Its really not anymore trouble and it keeps Colby busy and out of my hair!
We are excited about the upcoming weekend and Father's day and spending time with Austin!

6 Month Checkup

Lindsay went for her 6 month checkup today. Today it was just us girls. As you can recall for her 4 month the whole family went..that was also the time we were all sick with the flu! Thankful that this visit we were all well! Lindsay did really well...she got a little fussy towards the end. It was during her usual first nap of the day. Her first nap we are usually not too strict about she can usually do with our without it. It makes for an easier day if she has it but if we went by her nap schedule we would neve be able to go anywhere b/c she still takes 3 naps a day. I carried her in today...she is getting too heavy to carry in the infant carrier. We will probably get her a big girl carseat even though she is still a ways from outgrowing the carrier. She enjoyed me carrying her b/c she smiled and laughed at everyone who worked there! She was a total ham! We didn't have to wait long either which was nice. The doctor was tickled to see her again! She said she is right on target with everything. She isn't totally sitting up yet but I think its b/c she's so little she doesn't have fat little legs to prop her body up on. She can sit for longer amounts of time now but she still leans forward and falls over. The doctor got to see her "swimming" motions she makes though when she is on her belly. She weighed in at 14 lbs 10 oz. That seems so tiny! I guessed she would be around 15! That means she is in the 5% for weight. The doc wasn't concerned. I think she can tell she is healthy she is just going to be petite. I laugh though b/c Colby was in the 75% for weight at this point. She was 26 inches long. This put her at the 50% for height. I guess she is going to be long and lean! This is the first time that her height and weight have not been the same! I am sure it will balance back out though. She usually was 25% for both!
She received 4 vaccines today. She handled it wells he cried but it didn't last long! The nurse said she felt so bad doing it b/c she was so happy! Anyway so far she hasn't seem to run fever or feel too bad so hopefully it won't be too bad of a reaction. Last time she also had the flu so we couldn't tell what was the flu virus and what was from the shots! I hope they don't make her feel bad! The doc said no sign of teeth yet. I figure she will be 7 months atleast before she gets one like her bro was!
So thankful for a healthy report though on our baby girl! I can't believe next time she goes it will be for a 9 month checkup!
We enjoyed the rest of our day! The boys had fun at swim lessons. We all took naps and enjoyed being together at home! It was a nice day!

Rainy Weekend

Well we have had a very rainy weekend! Its been pretty low key for me and the kids. Saturday we went to Target. We got out early to avoid the rain and I was glad we did b/c it started storming soon after we got home. Its hectic enough shopping with 2 kids I can't imagine doing that in the rain! The kids were good but I felt frazzled the whole time and forgot half the stuff on my list! It takes so much longer to accomplish anything when I have them both with me! Plus I am working in a limited 3 hour window between Lindsay's feeding schedule and naps! So after we got home I fed her and put her down then Colby and I ate lunch. I always feel bad when he doesn't get to burn off a lot of energy. He did take a good nap though which was nice. After his naptime he and I went outside while she slept. He rode his bikes and used his sidewalk chalk. I enjoy those special moments of hanging out with him. That evening Austin came home and we made pizzas.
Sunday another rainy day. When we got to church it was like flooding raining so I got soaked while trying to get the kids in and keep them dry! I thought at first I was going to have to turn around and leave but I decided to stay for Sunday School and just deal with being wet. I had committed to teaching Colby's class today...I thought if it would have just been him I would have left but there ended up being 4 kids so I was glad I stayed. At the beginning it was just Colby and Zoe though. We started out the class with an art activity. Zoe was more into that then Colby. Colby is not big on art he likes painting but he's not into crayons at all. After the art activity they had free play for a few minutes. The lesson was about Mary and Joseph bringing baby Jesus to church. The book suggested going to visit the babies at church. We walked across the hall to the baby room. Ofcourse 1 of the babies was Colby's sister. I think they liked the change of scenery but both were more interested in the baby toys then the babies! After that we did our storytime...Colby didn't want to listen to the story so I had to firmly correct him. He is old enough now that he should be sitting down to listen to a 5-10 minute circle time. He ended up doing ok but I think he does better when I am not his teacher! By the time we finshed the story 2 other little girls came. We played a listening game next. Well by this time Colby was getting a little unruly. I had to punish him which I hated to do. Its hard being a teacher and a mommy especially right now at this age. I told him to go sit at the table and he told me no then proceeded to scatter magnets all over the floor...I tried putting him in timeout in the room but it was causing a major disruption so I had to make him go sit in the hallway. Was he being that bad...no but I didn't want to argue with him while I was supossed to teach the class. Would I have done that to another child...probably not but that's where it gets sticky being your own child's teacher! A prime example why I could not homeschool! Anyway once I let him back in the room he did fine. We finished up the listening game then moved on to the "driving to church" game. After this they were all ready for some free time. That was all the activities I planned anyway. We let them play for about 10 min before having a snack. At that point I picked up Lindsay and we came home. I was still wet at the point and anxious to get home! My parents and Colby left shortly after and stopped for an early lunch then came home. All 3 of us napped then we just had a low key afternoon watching cartoons and waiting on Austin to get home!

Friday-Reward Day

Well this was the last day of swim lessons for Week 1. Colby still did well today despite that fact that I'm sure he was exausted! He spent last night with my parents and they said he went to bed early but he also woke up at 4:30 this morning! He has been doing that lately when he is over there. Not sure what the deal is! He does that occasionally here but we send him back to bed. Anyway he was a little antsy for swim lessons to start but he did really well in the class despite the early wake up. Afterwards I had promised him a trip to Chickfila. Our friends Casee and Jax joined us. We have a new chickfila close to our house which is VERY exciting! I am sure that will be the first of many playdates there this summer. The boys seemed to enjoy their lunch and playtime. It was busy and crowded so I think next time I will try going earlier. But I think they had fun and it was a nice reward. Colby came home and took a great nap! I guess we will juts relax the rest of the afternoon. The weekend won't be too exciting either with Austin having to work the whole time. I will be looking forward to Monday and Tuesday for sure!

Week 1 of Swim Lessons

I have been so proud of Colby this week. He has done excellent at swim lessons. He fussed a little the first day...not like upset or crying just telling the teacher he didn't want to do something. After that first day I never heard a cross word come out of him while he was swimming. This year there are 3 younger kids in the class including Colby. During their lesson though 3 older children are also swimming in the deep end. There are 3 instructors who manage all of them. There is a boy who mainly works with the older ones while the girl and Mrs. Joan help out with the younger ones. I can tell Colby is more advanced then last year. She works with them according to what they can do. Colby is doing a little more independent swimming this year. Our friends Casee and Jackson are also in the class. I was glad Colby had a friend in his class. This is Jackson's first year though so he is a few steps behind Colby. I am glad we started Colby out before he turned 2 b/c he is so used to it now and so comfortable with the idea of swim lessons. I can't wait to see what all he learns by next week. He has enjoyed going every day. He loves getting there early and staying a few minutes at the end to play with her toys! For some reason she has great toys! I guess since he only sees them for 2 weeks every year they are special! His little friend isabella from school is in the lesson after his so he gets to see her too! I enjoy the time to visit with the other moms as well. So far we are moving through the summer nicely. I like the swim schedule we are on right now. The week before was difficult b/c I was having to get both kids out and entertain them but with swimming we have more relaxed mornings and Lindsay has been able to get in all 3 of her naps daily which has made for a happy baby and a happy mommy!

I think Colby is getting a little bored though since all we do is get out to go to swim lessons which is in our neighborhood then come home. My parents are coming over each day to watch Lindsay. I am really grateful for that b/c it allows me to focus on Colby while I am there and not juggle a 6 month old! I guess next year it will be her turn to go to the mommy and me classes when she is 18 months old! Its worked out well my parents keeping her though b/c she is able to stick to her little schedule....although poor thing she hasn't left the house all week! Today my parents brought Colby home though with them. We thought it would be a good change of pace for him. He loves spending the night over there. He spent the night last Monday but during the school year he doesn't normally do that unless Austin and I are going out and he stays with them. I think this summer we will let him go once a week or every other week. Its nice to have a break with just Lindsay. Its my first time alone with her really since he got out of school. I feel like I can focus so much more on her and really play and talk to her. Balancing two kids I feel like all day I run around just trying to meet their needs but not really getting the quality time. Its also been nice to take Colby to swim lessons. Even though its a short time we get to visit some and have that one on one interaction too! Tomorrow for a treat I am going to take Colby to Chickfila after swimming. Once again it will be a change of pace for him so he should be excited. We will have a low key weekend b/c Austin will be working through the whole thing so we won't be doing much other then a shopping trip to Target and church!

6 Month Comparison

Lindsay is at the top and Colby at the bottom!

Lindsay 6 Months

My baby girl is 6 months old today! I have no idea where time went or how that happened so fast! She is growing up all too quickly! I am loving this stage though b/c she is developing quite the little personality! She is a very good, content baby just like Colby was. I am so thankful for Babywise b/c I attribute that to a lot of it. She is learning so many new things. She rolls over all the time now and spends more time on her tummy then her back it seems! Quite different from her big bro! She is even sleeping some on her tummy now. That has been a little bit of a problem here and there though of her waking up on her tummy and crying and we go back and flip her just to find her flipped back over! She wants to crawl very badly. She can scoot and roll herself around though. Sometimes she ends up in a totally different place then I put her down. She is teething but still doesn't have any teeth. Her gums look white on the bottom so I would think in the next month she may get her bottom 2 teeth. She is still a little thing...not sure how much she weighs but I would guess around 15 lbs? We will find out next week at the doc! She is wearing 6 month clothes comfortably. I finally just put away her 3-6 month things. Its not that they didn't fit but those were winter/early spring clothes. Her 6-12 month clothes are summer. I haven't tried any on her yet I figure they may be a little big but they should work for now since the weather is so warm! She is wearing a size 2 diaper still.
She is still eating 5 times a day every 3 hours. She eats 3 solid meals also. In the last month she has started fruit and yogurt. She hates the Gerber green veggies so I hope to make her some homemade soon! She will eat other brands though! She has expensive taste we thing!
She is sleeping great...sometimes she has a rough nap or night but for the most part she sleeps 12 hours straight at night and takes 3 naps during the day. The naps usually range from 1-2 hours. We aren't as strict with her schedule so sometimes she misses one of them. We just always try to make sure she gets the afternoon nap when Colby sleeps that way everyone gets a little quiet time!
She is not sitting up yet but is getting better when you put her in the sitting position. She loves to play on her mat or on a blanket and also loves her jumpy toy! She loves her big bro and watches him often! Its fun watching them interact a little!

Fun Weekend!

Well we have had a great weekend! Austin has been off the whole weekend which was really a treat! He usually is only off on weekends when we travel or have something big going on. He decided to take his Memorial Day holiday this weekend which has been so nice! I think we have gotton spoiled to having him around! Monday morning will be tough for all of us!
Friday since he was off that morning he and Colby got our and ran some errands. I decided to stay home with Lindsay and work on her naptimes. Since I had both kids home Wednesday and Thursday she missed her morning naps therefore she had some really tough days. I was determined to get her back on track. It was also nice for me to stay in and get some housework done while the boys were out. They got back around lunchtime and we ate lunch together then all took naps. That afternoon we got ready to take Colby out on a special evening. We don't get out often at night especially now with having a baby b/c she is ready for bed by 7. We decided with Austin being off this Friday we would take Colby to his first Zephyr game. He hasn't been in his 3 1/2 years. We have talked about bringing him the last 2 years but just have never gotton around to it. I figured by now he would actually be old enough to enjoy it. We also found out about a classic car show before the game. I knew he would LOVE this! So we struck out that evening. My parents came over to keep Lindsay since she was obviously too young. Plus like I have always said I always want to try and give them each special nights alone with us. So we got to the car place and Colby had the best time. We walked around to each car and he just looked and checked them out! He was in little boy heaven! After seeing all the cars we headed to the ball game. Well since it was the 1st of June they had hurricane preparedness month. They had firetrucks, police cars and all other sort of public safety type vehicles. Colby got to do a safety class with the fire department in a little house and talk to some of the firemen and look in the trucks. Ofcourse all this thrilled him too except for the smokey house! Once we finally got in the game he was excited. I am sure it was thrilling just to take in all the sights. once we got settled in some seats we got hotdogs. That little boy ate the entire hotdog! He ate a hotdog, drank a sprite, and had chocolate icecream! We usually don't let him eat like that so he was in heaven once again! We figure a special occasion like that once in awhile I guess he can eat a little junk! Although after he finished all his food he was ready to go! We stayed until the 5th inning...he wasn't very interested in the game but I figure each time we go back he will be able to stay a little longer. They had fireworks at the end but I knew there was no way he would make it to the end! Naturally we were all exhausted that evening!
Saturday we had a lazy morning around the house. Austin and Colby got outside and did yard work. Once again it was nice to stay in with Lindsay and let her get her nap. I also got some things done inside while she napped. After the boys were finished outside we went to my parent's house to swim. I decided not to get in. I wanted to but it was time for Lindsay to eat anyway. Normally my mom would just feed her while I swam but she had to get ready for a shower later that afternoon. I enjoyed staying in with her and Lindsay though while the boys swam! After swimming and Lindsay eating we came on back home. We wanted to get back to our house for naps. It was a nice relaxful afternoon until Colby woke up from his nap with a horrible cough. He had been coughing on and off all week so I finally bit the bullet and took him to urgent care. I was concerned b/c it just didn't seem like he was getting any better. Luckily we didn't have to wait long. They said he was fine just a viral upper respiratory infection...basically a cold I guess! I am glad it wasn't bronchitis or croup. He has had both and seems prone to those type of things. So once we got home Austin had promised him a little swim in his kiddie pool. So that he did! I swear the boy is going to turn into a fish! He had a blast swimming. That evening we ate dinner as a family which was really nice.
Sunday we had church. It was so nice to once again have Austin around. Its so rare that he is with us on Sundays. We had hoped to sit in church together but I ended up being needed in the nursery both hours. I helped out in Colby's class during Sunday school. It was him and Zoe. Zoe is 2 and just promoted in that class. Although she and Colby have been in class before together so they played together pretty well. I enjoyed seeing what he is learning about and getting a perspective of how he acts in there. He did pretty well with me in there the second half. During church I ended up helping with the toddler room. They had 6 toddlers and only 2 workers. I decided to stay so it would be 1 teacher per 2 kids. I enjoyed playing with some of those little guys and girls. Our good friends Jonathan and Janel were at church so we had their youngest daughter in our class. I had never met her before so it was fun to hang out with her. All of the kids were pretty good its just a busy age so we were constantly on the move! After church we did our usual lunch at McAlister's. That afternoon we came home and relaxed. Austin and Colby ran a couple errands and spent time outside I tried to get caught up on some housework then we all relaxed that evening before sending Austin back to work! This coming week Colby starts swim lessons so we are excited to have that routine! Although it means we won't be doing much else!

Long, Summer Days

Well we are now into summer mode and out of holiday mode. I am enjoying the no schedule part...its nice to not have to rush out he door in the mornings but hard to keep everyone entertained and sane for 12 hours! Yesterday was one of those days too that Austin was way after 7 getting home which makes it even harder. We began our day with a trip to Target. I have gotton used to shopping with 2 little ones...its not horrible but its not easy either. I just feel like it takes longer and I lose my concentration. Lindsay is pretty easy b/c she just sits there and looks around but Colby has to walk usually after the basket starts to fill up and he wanders around and gets side tracked. Anyway we made it back from that and we spent most of the rest of the day inside. Its so hot these days that getting out and walking really isn't an option. Lindsay took a pretty good nap but Colby didn't nap so he was out of his room at 1 which makes for a long day. Its not that he's bad its just hard to keep him entertained for that many hours. Last summer was different he and I could do a lot more running around but now with a baby our lives have slowed down some. He and I did spend about an hour in the backyard late yesterday afternoon while she slept which was nice. That reminded me of the last few years that we have spent so many hours out there just he and I. It also didn't help my day that Colby wet the bed. He transitioned to underwear full time I think in April. Its still been an adjustment. He has an accident about once every couple weeks. After Florida they got more frequent...we got back over that hump and now he's had 3 in a row. So I start my day with stripping his bed and washing clothes! Anyway I was very glad to finally see Austin last night when he got home!
Today (Thursday) we decided to go to the library. Its been forever since I brought Colby there. In fact I think it was a few days before Lindsay was born. I keep wanting to take him to storytime but usually it always fell when he was in school this past year...oh well maybe this summer we will make it and now that Lindsay is a little older she might like it too! Anyway we got there and the castle was closed so that was a little disappointing. Even though Colby likes going to the library its always hard to get him involved. Finally he wanted to get on a computer so we did and he played pbs kids. He had no idea what he was doing...we don't let him get on the computer here...I am not ready to let him enter into that yet. Anyway that lasted 5 minutes or more then he was ready to check out books. We found about 4 books that looked good so checked them out. I felt like it was atleast a productive trip. I want him to enjoy books and know how to use the library. Even though it was quick I felt good knowing we did something educational today. My goal is to not let him sit home and watch tv all summer! Anyway the rest of the day though was pretty dull. Lindsay did fall asleep on the way home so he rode his bikes in the front for a little while. After we came in it was lunchtime...I fed and got Lindsay down for her nap then Colby and I ate and he went down for his nap. I was so happy he finally took a nap it had been several days since his last one and I knew he needed it. Lindsay on the other hand didn't nap at all ALL day so it made for a long, exausting day for me. I am not sure what her deal was b/c she has been napping so good lately. I finally figured out her nap rhythm. For awhile I was doing what worked with Colby and obviously she is a different person so I finally figured out what worked best for her. And what I figured out was 3 naps a day in her bed. Well the last 2 days with Colby being home now its hard for her to get her first nap in her bed b/c if we do then Colby is going crazy ready to leave the house plus if we wait until 10 then we only have like an hour before its time for her to eat and then our lunchtime. So we just had to skip her morning nap hoping she would nap in the car which she did today but apparantly not long enough. Anyway it was hard on me b/c she kept flipping over and I would go in to flip her back but she would do it again. It was also hard on Colby b/c I had to devote so much time and energy to her yesterday I feel like he got jipped. I try to spend the afternoons playing with him while she is taking her late afternoon nap. I know there will be days like this and that's ok we all have bad days.
Anyway its a new schedule we are getting used to. We had our routine down with Colby being in school so now it will take us a couple weeks to get used to them both being home a lot more. But it'll be ok! Thank goodness Austin is off this weekend though and I can catch a break and we can have some family fun!