Happy Birthday Austin (3 years old and 17 months)

On Austin's birthday, I took the day off to be with him.  Last year I took Sydney to school so I could have a special day just with Austin.  This year it felt right for Sydney to be home with us too.  They miss each other when the other is not around.  I took them to Chick-Fil-A for lunch.  They ate lunch and played on the playground.  They had fun.  Then in the evening Lisa, Keith, and Kaitlyn came over to celebrate with us.  We had a cookie cake and ice cream.  Kaitlyn wasn't feeling too well but she was very excited it was Austin's birthday.  Kaitlyn got Austin a lego train set.  It is awesome.  Austin loves it.  He has been playing with it every day.  We had so much fun with them.

Then on Sunday, my parents came over and we celebrated Austin's birthday with them.  Lauren made Austin an awesome Micky Mouse coconut cake.  She makes amazing cakes.  They got Austin a piano music toy.  He loved it.  It has a microphone and he was pretending to DJ.  His favorite thing to say is "Everybody dance!"  It is really fun. He likes to play music and wants everyone else to dance. They both really like music and dancing.

We have been potty training for over 2 weeks now.  Austin is basically potty trained for pee pee at home.  Until this weekend he absolutely refused to potty any where other than home.  That includes day care.  He will not go there at all either.  On Friday night we went to Kaitlyn's house and he went potty there on his potty seat.  Then on Saturday he went pee pee at Walmart again on his Micky potty seat because he wanted a donuts.  We bribe him with what he wants.   It is small steps but we are making progress.  He still has not gone #2 in a potty yet.  I can't wait for that to start happening.  He wants a play dough garage truck at Target.  We told him he can get it once he poops in the potty.  Hopefully it will be soon.

He starts in the preschool room this week at school.  In that room, Austin and one other kid are the only ones not potty trained.  We are hoping that once he sees everyone else going potty there he will too.  I really hate that he pees in his pants at school.  I feel bad for him.  When he is ready he will do it but it's hard knowing he could be wet at school.

Austin went to the doctors for his 3 year check up.  He is now 34 pounds.  When the doctor checked his ears he had an ear infection.  This was his 4th ear infection since June.  We had to see an ENT again.  Our last ENT left this area so we needed to find another one.  We got an appointment on Tuesday to see him.  He highly recommended ear tubes.  We really don't like him having surgery but don't like all the ear infections and antibiotics.  So we scheduled surgery.  Hopefully that will go well.

More Potty Training

Last week Brian dropped Austin off at daycare and his normal teacher (Ames) was not there.  He thought it was odd.  Then he saw a letter on all the kids' mailboxes.  He knew that his teacher had quit.  Austin had this teacher for over a year.  We really liked her and had been talking with her about potty training.  We were shocked and upset by the news.  We were worried about Austin and how he would react.  Ames was always there to comfort Austin if he was sad when Brian left for the day.  Now it was just not the same.

Part of me felt we should delay potty training even more because of this significant change.  The other part of me knew we were on our own and had to get this done.  After all, Austin is going to be 3 next week!  Austin's new teacher approached me about potty training.  She asked what we were trying at home.  The hard part was we were trying things but it didn't seem to be working. Brian and I talked that night and he said that I needed to stop putting Austin in pull ups.  I didn't like that but it was true.

So Thursday and Friday night we had him wear his underwear for a few hours before bed.  He had some accidents.  He was not a fan of this at all.  He would cry and not want to sit on the potty.  He wanted his pull ups or diapers on.  It was very sad.  They say you shouldn't force it but we had to get over this.  Saturday morning came and I knew that was the day no more diapers (except when he was sleeping).  I put on his underpants and tried to get him to drink as much as possible.  Brian was home and worked with him too.  He was fine after the initial fight of putting on the underwear.  He didn't like to get wet so that is why he wanted the pulls up so bad now.  Finally he started to "get it" and was great at being able to feel it coming, stop it, and make it to the potty.  By Sunday he was only getting his underwear a little wet (no puddles or anything).

Today is Tuesday.  We have worked with him for 4 full days now.  He really gets going pee-pee.  He's had an accident today after we got home from Walmart but that is about it.  Again he will still get is underwear a tiny bit wet but can stop it in time to run to the potty.  He really likes his frogy potty.  He initially liked the froggy potty by the front door but today he decided he liked it in his room.  He also will sit on his Mickey mouse potty seat on the big toilet but not as often.

He hasn't gotten the poopy in the potty yet though.  The last 3 days he has went in the underpants.  On Sunday, when he had to go I was changing Sydney's potty diaper.  On Monday, I was cleaning up after lunch and he got away from me and did it.  And today he did it during nap time in his pull up.  Hopefully he will get that soon!

My mom has been here both Monday and Tuesday.  That has been a great help.  Austin now doesn't want Sydney to bother him so having someone else here is huge.  Today she is bought him a donut for doing such a great job on the potty.  He was really happy.

I am home with him tomorrow so hopefully things will continue to move along nicely.  Potty training is hard and stressful.  I am so glad we are finally making progress.

Potty Training (2.99 years and 16.5 months)

Since we were both off over Christmas break, we hoped to potty train Austin.  It didn't go exactly as planned.  I was thinking he would just "get it" but he didn't.  Austin doesn't understand yet when the pee pee is coming.  We tried getting him to sit on the potty.  He would, but nothing would come out even after extended periods waiting on the potty.  This went on for several days.  We tried big boy underpants. That worked well except again he didn't really pee pee in the potty.  He would hold it until a diaper would go on for nap or bedtime.  We encouraged him to drink juice but wouldn't drink enough.  Finally Brian had a great idea to try chocolate milk.  Austin loves chocolate milk and it was easier to get him loaded up on it.  That worked great and finally he went on the potty.  We celebrated but he doesn't like making a big deal out of it.  He only likes one of us to be in the potty with him. And most of the time Sydney also needs to be sitting on her potty too.  We have had two days that he actually went in the potty. But now he is not liking the potty.  He gets upset if we ask him to use it.  But he will now finally wear pull ups so that is what we are doing right now.  Hopefully over the next several weeks to months he will get it.

New Years Eve we just stayed home and watched a movie.  We had appetizers for dinner and just hung out.  Actually over Christmas break we rented 4 movies.  We haven't rented that many movies all year.  It was nice to watch some movies and just relax.  I slept though some of them but I really like "We're the Millers"

Before Christmas Austin and Sydney only wanted me to put them to bed.  That was so unusual for Austin.  Brian always puts Austin to bed.  It was so nice for me putting Austin to bed.  He would read his books and then lay right now and I would lay next to him on the floor and he would go to sleep.  Sydney takes forever (30-40 minutes) to fall asleep.  If I put her to bed I usually fall asleep too.

That only lasted about a week and now both kids want Brian to put them to bed.  Austin usually wins and gets him.  Sydney tries really hard by grasping Brian's finger and trying to pull him into her room at bedtime.  Austin whines and cries more about it so usually Sydney settles more peacefully for me to put her to bed.  She is now okay with that for now.  The easiest way for me to get her to sleep is to let her sleep on the floor next to me.  After she is completely asleep, I move her into her crib.  It's not ideal but it's working right now.  We considered moving her into a toddler bed because we think she would like that better.  The problem is that when I am home by myself and neither child we go to nap, I have no where just to put Sydney.  We are planning to keep the crib for several more months.

Sydney now only gets mommy milk right before bed.  I am ready to give it up but she definitely is not.  I am grateful that it is just once a day now and only for about 10 minutes.  I stopped feeding her in the middle of the night right after we got back from Disney.  There were nights she cried it out but now she basically sleeps though the night.  It's wonderful.

I still don't sleep that great.  I am usually up at least once or twice a night for some reason even if it's not the kids.  I always end up on the couch.  Part of the reason is that I don't like our bed.  Austin also encourages it because he likes knowing where to find me, so if I'm not on the couch he'll get upset.  Brian usually sleeps in later than me so I close our bedroom door so he can get some sleep.  He doesn't go to bed until midnight or later so 6:30 am comes really fast (that is when Austin gets up almost every morning).  I use to hate getting up that early every morning but now I don't mind it.  I enjoy my hour or so with Austin before Sydney wakes up.  We sit on the couch and he watches his Kindle and I read on my phone.  I watch some videos with him.  The days I work I miss my mornings with him.  Sydney usually gets up around 8 am now.  And by 8am I am ready to play and so is Austin.   They both go to bed around 8:30-9pm.

Christmas (2.98 years and 16 months)

This year Brian and I were extremely lucky with our work schedules.  Brian was off basically from December 20 onward.  He worked a little bit here and there but nothing like normal.  I only had to work the Friday after Christmas.  We had a lot of time to spend together as a family.

On Christmas Eve, my parents came over for dinner.  Every year we have Christmas Eve dinner at our house.  Before we would have a lot of people come over but now that Brian's family lives in Myrtle Beach it is just my parents.  We still like hosting it.  Brian cuts up cheese every year.  We also make sugar cookies.  The kids enjoyed making cookies.  They like eating them even more!  We had a nice Christmas Eve.

On Christmas morning my parents came over at 7 am so they could see the kids open their presents.  Austin woke up at his usual 6:30 am.  Then we had him in our room for a little while before he went downstairs to see what Santa had brought them.  Austin came down himself first then he wanted to go get Sydney so they could open their presents together.  It was really cute. Austin went to Sydney's room and tried to wake her up.  Sydney didn't understand "what the big idea was" (as Austin would say).  Sydney woke up and then they went downstairs together.  They were both eager to open up their gifts.  They were not interested in seeing who the present was for.

Austin got a Jake and Neverland pirates ship, Jake sword, car carrier, street carpet mat, and book from Santa.  Meemaw and Papa got him stickers, paper, highlights magazine, playdoh toys, and mickey mouse.  Nana and Grandpa got him a train set that he and Sydney really like.  Auntie Melissa got him a kiwi craft kit.  He will get one in the mail every month.  I haven't done it yet but it looks really cool.

Santa brought Sydney a baby doll, music band set, broom set, stickers, and cookie jar toy with shapes.  Meemaw and Papa got her stickers, coloring supplies, highlights magazine, baby doll, and Minnie mouse. Nana and Grandpa got her animal sounds toy. Auntie Melissa got her clothes and The Little Mermaid DVD.  They both had an awesome Christmas.

The only issue was Sydney ruptured her left ear drum on Christmas Eve.  Christmas day she had a lot of drainage coming out of it.  She seemed fine but it looked gross.  Christmas Eve she didn't want to go to bed and I let her cry it out in her crib.  Then I find out she ruptured her ear drum.  I feel horrible about that but I had no idea.  I called the doctor on Christmas day.  They never called back and we knew there was nothing that could be done except antibiotics that we could get the day after.  Since she was acting fine, we just celebrated and didn't go to urgent care.

The kids played with their toys all morning then they took a nap.  After nap I dressed them in cute outfits that Aunt Betty got them. Brian tried to get some pictures of them but they were hungry and they weren't cooperating.  So we just went down to my parents for dinner.

We had a nice Christmas dinner.  The kids were well behaved.  Then they got to open more presents.  They had a lot of fun.  It was a great Christmas for everyone.

The day after Christmas we went shopping and got some after Christmas deals.  We considered buying a new Christmas tress since ours is really basic but we didn't see anything we really liked.  I kind of want a real tree next year.  We will see.  Merry Christmas!

Holiday Fun (2.9 and 15.9 months)

During our trip to Myrtle Beach I was sick and then on my birthday Brian got really sick.  He came home from work with a fever and basically needed to go to bed.  I was a little sad, but understand that with the kiddos we are getting sick a lot and there is nothing we can do.  The night before I went to Giant Eagle because I wanted a cookie cake.  Brian was with Austin in the store so I took the cake to the bakery and asked for it to say "Happy Birthday Mommy".  The women asked if I was buying my own cake and I smiled and said yes.  I fed the kids dinner and then went to our friends Lisa and Keith's with the cookie cake to celebrate my birthday.  My parents came over on Sunday and we celebrated my birthday with dinner and a cake.

One of the more popular holiday activities around here is the Polar Express.  It is a 45 minute ride aboard the Cuyahoga Valley Railroad that takes you to the "North Pole".  Then the train takes you back. Brian and I never went as a kid so we didn't know exactly what to expect.  We definitely wanted to try it.  Because Sydney is under 2 she was free which is always a bonus.

When we arrived at the train station, we gave them our tickets and then Austin starting running to the train screaming "I love it" over and over while dancing towards the train.  Austin loves trains and I think seeing a real one so close was really cool for him.  We went inside the train car and they sat us down.  Because of how the seating worked Sydney had her own seat even though we did not pay for her.  It worked out great.  On the way to the North Pole the elf's read the book "The Polar Express".  Then they gave out hot cocoa and a cookie.  Austin really liked his cookie.  We also sang Christmas carols.  During some of the songs the kids got to dance in the aisle.  When we arrived at the North Pole there were elves dancing outside.  It was decorated nicely.  There was a huge Christmas tree and Austin said "That is the biggest Christmas tree I have ever seen".  Then Santa arrived by a smaller train car.  Austin said there were no reindeer driving Santa because reindeer don't have arms to drive.  Santa then came inside the train and got his picture taken with everyone on our way back to the train station.   It was a really fun night.  They were both good. It was a great night with awesome memories.

Another one of our favorite activities with the kids is Santa arriving to our house in a fire truck.  Our city does it each year.  We stand outside our driveway and then the fire truck comes with Santa in the back of it.  Santa gets out and gives the kids a present.  It is fun to watch.  This year Santa came in an ambulance so it wasn't as cool, but still was fun.  Brian had the tripod with cameras set up but because it was a little different this year he didn't get as good of picture as he hoped.  But I think it's still a good picture.

The local mommy group that I belong to had tickets for a Christmas concert for kids at Severance Hall.  We thought that would be something different to take the kids to.  They both really love music.  It was a nice concert with 6 people playing brass instruments.  They both listen fairly well and Sydney enjoyed dancing on occasions.  They will probably enjoy it a little more as they get older.

My parents best friends have a Christmas party every year that we attend.  It is really cool because Santa comes and bring each child a present.  It is nice to see everyone there too.  They had dinner and we talked with people.  Austin and Sydney had fun walking around the place.  They were not too sure of Santa but they did enjoy the present they received from him.

At school the kids have a Christmas party.  It started at 3:30 pm.  They invite the parents to come and celebrate with the kids.  During the school parties we bring Sydney into Austin's room.  It is amazing how Sydney fits right in. She will sit on the chairs and eat the food like all the other kids at the table.  Then she will play with toys that are in the room.  We always make sure we can attend the parties.  The kids have fun.

That same night we had tickets for Lake Farm Park.  It was a 45 minute drive away so we had to leave the kids Christmas party a little early before Santa arrived.  Lake Farm Park has so many fun activities for the kids.  First we went to Santa's workshop where elves help the kids make a toy they got to pick out.  Austin picked a helicopter and Sydney picked at bus.

 The elves helped them hammer the toys together.  After the toy was together, we took the kids over so they could paint it and put glitter on it.  It was messy but really cool.  Then we went on a horse and carriage ride though the park looking at Christmas lights.  It ended in a barn were there were animals and toy trains.  After we visited there we walked back  to the main attraction area. The kids decorated a Christmas cookie with icing and sprinkles.  Then they played in the play area while I went and got their toys that were drying.  It was a great night. It was probably my favorite activity that we did this year.

The weekend before Christmas there was a holiday party at the club my parents belong to. They have an annual Christmas party.  I went every year as a child and really enjoyed it. My parents took both kids this year.  Brian took them down there while I was getting my hair done.  Then Brian and I had the entire afternoon to ourselves.  I cleaned the house then we went out shopping and to dinner.  It was really nice to have some adult time.  My parents brought the kids back before bedtime.  Since they did not have a nap that day they were a little cranky. Luckily they went to bed easily and all was well.

For most of the month of December before Christmas Brian was really sick. He would have mostly a sore throat.  For several days he could not open his mouth wide enough to put in his pinky finger in it. It was bad. Brian felt horrible.  I was busy with the kids.  We had all these activities that we wanted to do.  Luckily Brian got to go to all of them and finally went to the doctor and got an antibiotic and felt much better.

Austin is pretty funny.  The other day I was in the kitchen and I whining "Why is it so cold?"  And Austin answered "in the wintertime mommy it's suppose to be cold".  Austin is right, it is suppose to be cold.  It has been a cold and snowy winter for us, but that makes it fun because both of the kids like to play in the snow.

Thanksgiving (2.9 years and 15 months)

Thanksgiving was very sad this year.  Brian's phone rang at 8 am and I answered it.  It was Mike telling me that Grandma had passed away.  It was pretty sudden.  We were very sad but knew that she was finally happy again to be with Gramps.  It had been understandably difficult for her since Gramps died.  We were flying to Myrtle Beach on Friday to surprise Brian's mom for her birthday. But because of Grandma's death Mike told Carol we were coming down.

We have many memories with Austin at Grandma and Gramp's house.  When they were up here we would visit weekly.  Grandma moved to Myrtle Beach before Sydney was born so unfortunately Sydney did not get a lot of time with great Grandma.  Great Grandma and Gramps were amazing people and they will be missed greatly.  We are so happy Brian made a video with them for the kids so they be able to watch when they get older and can appreciate it.

We left Friday morning and flew down to Myrtle Beach.  Austin and Sydney did really good on the plane again.  We are learning as we travel what we need to have handy.  If you give Austin his Kindle and Sydney some suckers they are happy.  Sydney needs more entertainment as she does get bored easily but between Brian and I we can handle her pretty well.  We had a lay over in Charlotte.  Austin liked that airport because there were moving walkways.  He played on them as much as we would let him.

We arrived in Myrtle Beach and Melissa, Jonathan, and Camden picked us up.  It was nice because Melissa let us use their car seats so we didn't have to pack them.  That night we went out to dinner for Nana's birthday.  We went to a nice restaurant.  Luckily the kids were fairly well behaved.  Austin was so exhausted from no nap that he fell asleep at dinner.  He was seated in a booth so we just let him sleep.  Again we just had to keep Sydney fed and entertained the entire time.  It was nice.

Austin loved driving the golf cart.  He also enjoyed the construction equipment near their house.  One night we went to a drive in place to see Christmas lights.  It was cool.   One day we went to the beach too.  The weather was cool, but the kids still enjoyed playing in the sand.  I can't wait until next summer when they play at the beach.  I think they will both love it!

On Sunday, Camden was baptized.  It was so nice we were there.  It was a nice ceremony.  After words we went to Melissa's house for dinner.  I found it entertaining that their house is not baby proof yet.  They had glass plates on the floor for dog food.  Sydney would have loved to pick that up and drop it (she did end up spilling it before we stopped her).  Then Sydney ate some dog food.  Luckily they did have some toys for the kids to play with.  Melissa's neighbor Joan had a train set from her grandson that was awesome.  Austin really enjoyed that.

We had a great time while we were there.  The only bad thing is the kids were sick.  Austin cried so much on Sunday morning about his ear.  We took him to a CVS Minute Clinic and they diagnosed him with an ear infection.  It was very sad and he had to be in a lot of pain.  After about 12 hours the medications started to work.

Before we left for Myrtle Beach, Brian took Sydney to the doctor for her 15 month check up.  She was 40% for weight and 75% for height.  She says about 6 words (mama, dada, bye bye, ball, no, and this).  She is starting to get more picky about what she eats.  If she doesn't want it she shakes head no and gives it back or throws on floor.  It's annoying.  I really miss the days where she would eat anything.  She is no longer a fan of vegetables either.  Hopefully she will out grow this.

Austin likes to say "I can't like that" when he means I don't like that.  We have tried to get him to say I don't like it but he still strongly prefers I can't like it.

I have a lot planned for us in the month of December leading up to Christmas.  It's going to be so much fun!!!!