The GRADUATE!

My baby girl has graduated from preschool... I can't believe it! We had a wonderful morning and she looked absolutely beautiful in her dress! EVERYONE commented on how gorgeous she looked.  After getting ready we headed to Little Turtle for the ceremony.  Of course... I cried.  Mrs. Norrod's music and my baby girl, just did.me.in!
During the ceremony they said what they wanted to be when they grew up...my girl said a Mom! I melted.  That is so special and says so much about her character and sweet personality!
After the ceremony we had sweets and refreshments and Grace visited with her friends and of course Hannah & Megan! We took lots of pictures!  Betts, Doe, and Gigi were all there to celebrate with us!
After our celebration there we headed to Taco Bell (Grace's choice).  She had a yummy lunch and opened her gifts from Doe & us.  (Greg had to go back to work and Betts had to get Cam so they were unable to join us!)
Grace never ceases to amaze me.  Despite being so nervous about doing the  "Graduate" thing... telling me it was too difficult.  She pulled through and looked great! I love her, every... single... thing about her!

No, I don't want to...

Alexis has been potty trained (pee) since a few weeks prior to Christmas... one day she just decided she no longer wanted to wear a diaper... well we are STILL struggling with poop! She waits until bed time and then goes after we put a diaper on her at bedtime! OR even with underwear on at nap she poops... stinker! We have tried EVERYTHING... offering sleep overs, slurpees, barbie's, toys, and on the flip side we have taken things away and nothing is working! If I say to her... Alexis... if you put your poo-poo in the potty Mommy will take you to the store and get a Barbie for you... her reply is ALWAYS... "No, I don't want to." Really!?!?!?!? This crazy girl is going to be the death of me! :)

Long time... no post.

Yes, it's been a while.... Yes, we have been living life. :)
Just had to jot down a few things Jacob has said that has totally cracked me up in the last month.

He got a bracelet from his bus driver... he gets off the bus and says Ms. Mary gave us a bracelet and it says Happy Holidays on one side, Merry Christmas on the other... what it really said... Happy Holidays on one side... Made in China on the other... :)

Today I asked him if he wanted to ride the bus tomorrow or if he wanted to be driven in... he asked "Do I have to dress handsome?" (his party day is tomorrow) and I said "No" he said, "K, I'll ride the bus."

2.Years.Old... Letter to Lex

Dear Little Lex,
How did it happen, how did you get so big. I cannot even fathom that my "baby" has turned 2 years old. 2 years ago I was holding you, nursing you, hearing your first cry, nestling you up against me as we welcomed our second beautiful daughter. I couldn't imagine all that you would turn out to be. I couldn't comprehend how much you would add to our family until that day that you became part of it. It was more than I ever imagined... I'm blessed to have YOU as my daughter. Not a day goes by without a little attitude or hop in your step that makes me chuckle. I love everything about you and can't believe how much you look and act like me as a baby... makes me love you all the more. :)

I loved everything about you right from the start- that little brown fuzz we called "hair", replaced with your beautiful blonde "hair " that is almost always sprouting off the top of your head- your beautiful brown eyes that have a such a sparkle to them, and of course your "Jerry Teeth"... teeth just like your Pops! Your little crooked pinkies that haven't changed a bit and your tiny little body, so petite... you started out as our largest baby and have become our smallest toddler!
I feel so lucky to have YOU, as my daughter. It was one of the really greatest experiences of my whole life. And now you are two! I sometimes do miss my snuggle little newborn but also love this new stage full of experimenting, adventures, and joyfulness. I love how you talk to me now so fluently and tell me all about the world from your perspective. I thought it might be fun for you (and me!) to look back someday on what you are like at two years old, so here are some of the things I've learned about you.

Things You Can Do Now

-Feed yourself with spoon and fork, drink from a water bottle

-Speak in sentences

-Walk run, climb

-Go down a slide by yourself
-Color... well scribble!

-Go on the potty! (sometimes)

Favorite Things You Say: You really say so much... you are so vocal. I just love to hear you talk!
-Gracie & BraBra (Jacob)
- Purple & Pink... your FAVORITE colors

-"That Funny"
-"Gracie Kiss" - you always want to give one last kiss before you go to bed!
-Your famous for adding "e's" to the end of your words... Pocke (Pocket), Booke, etc.

-Outside.... always asking for outside!
-"Mommy's Girl" "Daddy's Girl" "Doe's Girl"

-I hurt/I cold- I love the mixed up grammar you use! :)

Things You Love

-Spaghetti, pizza, cookies, carrots... of course DIPS are also so popular with you (ranch, nacho cheese, peanut butter!)
-You LOVE to eat!
-Your satin blankie
-Princesses

-The Outdoors

-Minnie Mouse or Wiggles

-Babies, strollers, bottles, etc.

-Songs! You loved to be sung too!!

-Abby

Who You Are at Two:

-You are very warm and affectionate, love hugs and being close- but don't like being confined!

-You are really growing in independence and this great drive to do things by yourself. Sometimes getting shoes on is quite an ordeal because you want to do it yourself but don't quite have the manual dexterity to do it- and, I suppose, we are too often in a hurry!

-Stubborn... your way or the highway!

-You're very social- generally more interested in the people in a room than the toys or other objects there. You often just watch other kids as they do things... at least for a minute before diving in!

-You don't really seem to crave the "stage" or the limelight of a large group of people- you're often shyer in a group than you are with a small number of people you know well. But you just light up with the affection and admiration of the people who really matter in your life.

Babe, you are so loved... I can't wait to experience the ups and downs of 2 with you... whatever comes, comes... with you in my life we can do it!

All my love, Mommy

Lexie Lou... at 23 Months!

It seems so hard to wrap my head around the fact our BABY girl will be 2 next month! Each of our three have been so special to us, little miracles... and we treasure every day we have with them. Alexis is such a little spunky girl... she has attitude, the will to do anything and everything, and yet is the most loveable, sweetest thing!

Lex can't get enough of her "Bobby's" aka baby dolls... she loves them. She always wants to push them around, carry them and take them into bed with her. She is so girly... loves phones, purses, shoes, and accessories! She is our little diva... she learns alot of that from her big sis.

Alexis' favorite things to do are play with babies (real or fake), imitate her siblings, play with Abby, eat (anything!), give kisses (she can't go to bed without kissing everyone!), brush her teeth, watch Minnie/Mickey and gang, watch the princesses, try on sunglasses, and jump on the bed, dress up, buckle/zip (she can actually buckle into her highchair/stroller already). NO one can leave without taking her... that really upsets her. She always wants to be on the go... loves being outside, playing with friends, or just going!

Her fears to date are fuzzies and spiders... hmmm... not only does she look like Mommy, but we have similar phobias! She also poses with her chin down, walks with a bounce in her step and has similar mannerisms as Momma too!

Alexis has an amazing vocabulary and each day we laugh at how much more she says.... she says it all. She is using small sentences now as well (Zip it, Go Outside, I want it, etc). She asks WHY all the time! She really will repeat anything that is said to her... I'm so proud of her.

Lex loves to eat... she loves "fries", M's, pizza, soup, mac & cheese, and fruit snacks! She also loves her Milky! She is a fantastic eater... we are so lucky our kids like to eat! :) Alexis loves sweets but also likes the good stuff, which makes Mom & Dad very happy! Blueberries are her favorite fruit... she could eat a pint if we let her. Can't wait till summer time with lots of fresh fruits to feed baby girl!

In the last month we have spotted her bottom two molars.... so now she is just waiting on the top two. She appears to be sucking on her fingers, so I'm guessing they are on their way.

Grace is FOUR!

I look at my sweet baby girl and can't believe she is four.... how did this happen?
Grace is the sweetest angel.... I couldn't have wished for a more special daughter. So loving, sweet, caring and kind. She is truly beautiful inside & out.

Grace has such a love for her siblings and family. She is so motherly and loves taking care of those she loves. She makes a great friend... which makes me so happy & proud.

Grace loves playing outside, playing dolls, shopping, eating out, and just doing whatever makes anyone else happy. She likes riding her bike, going to school, doing hair, and helping out whenever she can. She loves to eat pizza, mac & cheese, lemonade, spaghetti, milk, slurpees, and chips. She has never been a huge eater of sweets and to this day doesn't care for them so much. She continues to learn and grow each day.... she is recognizing most letters and sounds in the alphabet, can count to 13, loves to color and make art projects, she also knows her colors (has for a while), and is big into fashion and painted nails. She also knows what she wants in regards to hair styles. She has an opinion and uses it! She loves to wear her hair plain... and also let me know that she doesn't care for pig tails any more. :( Grace loves playing with her best buds Rylie & Ema. She always is talking about them. She also enjoys Dance (tap & ballet with Rylie) and Cheer (with Ava & Brianna). She doesn't quite have her coordination down... and make me chuckle at how clumsy she can be. "Grace" falls over more than any girl I know.

For Gracie's fourth birthday we had a great day. We had the day off for spring break... so we went to Rochester Play in the morning with our family & Betts, Mimi & Cam. We played there till lunch and then headed over to Red Robin. Grace had mac & cheese... yum! For dinner we had everyone over (Doe, Betts, Pa, Mimi, Cam, Bella, Aunt Cathy, Gigi) and had pizza and cake. She had a very special day celebrating her four years with us. We love you Grace and can't wait to watch you grow... just don't grow too fast! :)

22 Months.. WOW.

We have been blessed... Babe is such a pleasure to have in our lives. I often think about what our lives would be like without her... can't imagine it. She is so special to us and really completes our family. Not a day goes by that we don't laugh at something cute she is doing. She is a doll...
Alexis' top five favorite things at this age are: 5. Food 4. Sleep 3. Her Dog 2. Daddy 1. MOUSE
Some of the runner up's are: Mommy, Outside, Brother, Gracie, and Babies!
Alexis is such a sponge and is really following all things that Jacob and Grace do & SAY! She just idolizes them, it's so sweet and she is learning so much! There isn't anything this girl can't do or say (or at least attempt!).
She enjoys letting Abby outside, taking a vitamin (min), getting her coat on , getting in the tub, pushing things (strollers/carts) and reading.

We have had a few successes with going potty... and she does enjoy the M&M's that come after. If I could get her to do it a little more frequently I think she would really connect the two. :)
How can this sweet angel be approaching 2 so soon? She is so independent I have no doubt she will go far in life. I'm proud to be her Mommy... and can't help but feel loved when I'm with her!
It's hard to see he grow up... especially so quickly. But I know she has to and that we have many more memories to create and share. I look forward to them, yet try to cherish these days as well... gosh I love her. :)

Jacob wants a brother....

Jacob informed me today that he wants a baby brother... he must have not received a memo that this baby maker is closed for business!

Babe is 21 Months...

WOW... our baby is nearing 2~ how did that happen?? Alexis has such the little personality... we love her more and more every day! She is getting so big and is so happy, funny, sweet, lovey, flirty, talkative, an adorable. She amazes us and sure has her siblings and parents wrapped around her little finger.
You would never know that Alexis has ear issues... this girl says everything. She talks all the time! She speaks in sentences (small). "I got it", "I do", "Hi, Mommy!"

She still LOVES babies, Mouse, and most recently princesses. Another love of hers is her clothing or shoes... she just cannot get enough of wearing my stuff, her stuff, Grace's stuff... Loves it!
Alexis has a love/hate relationship with food... she either loves it or pushes it away and says "yuck". Some of her favorites are pizza, mac n' cheese, fruit, carrots... and of course DIPS.

She also loves sweets... go figure!

She has continued to be smaller... most of her 18-24 month clothing is still too big. As far as shoes go... we have her in a 5 or 5.5 depending on the shoe. Hats are 12-24 Months... Speaking of heads... her hair is thickening up but still not growing much.

Her favorite toys continue to be babies, phones, keys, strollers, the kitchen (food), and anything someone else has. As far as television goes... she loves Mickey and Wiggles. BUT she will watch anything!

Lex is such an outdoor girl... she is always asking to go outside and when she gets there she always wants to "walk" as opposed to being carried and will just walk around aimlessly as long as you let her. I know she'll be a blast this year at the cottage and I'm sure she'll really enjoy it. Especially with Bella!

Her hair is still blonde... eyes are definitely brown... Doe got the baby she always wanted!

She loves to be sung too and loves music... loves to hear "Ba Ba Black Sheep" or "Itsy Bitsy Spider". She is now sleeping with her 2 Minnies, Seahorse Glow Thing, usually a baby, a blanky and buh. She loves going "nighty" and you can tell when she's ready because she starts asking for her baby or buh.

She runs pretty fast now and has even jumped with two feet a few times. She is quite the little dancer! Although she still likes to shovel her food in she is very good at using a "poon" (spoon) or "fork". She has also mastered drinking from a water bottle all by herself, which I find amazing to watch. Straws are very easy for her as well.

WOW... 20 months old!

Babe has added SO many more words this month including: juice, pizza, money, princess, Ariel, Ema, putzI honestly cannot think of anything she cannot say/repeat. It is amazing!

She also knows many of her colors, especially the basics... she loves pink and purple, of course!

She can identify and name most of her body parts as well as other people's. She is constantly pointing to my nose and eyes... and saying nose/eyes.

Alexis has continued to be a super eater... she will really try anything. She loves pizza, pasta, fruit, cheese, bars, and anything sweet! Our neighbors all joke that she is the little "Mikey" of the group... she loves food!

The WIGGLES & MOUSE are the hottest thing in this 20 month old baby girls life! She sings and dances around whenever she sees them on TV. Alexis loves her babies and is such a little mother hen, especially with her "Belda". She has also started to want to sleep with her little baby (although I say its a little hard and plastic like to sleep with, she just loves it!).

We are still having clothing issues... 12-18 month clothes fit perfectly. Everything else is still too big. Shoes are going at a 5 and hats are about a size 12-24 months. She is still our little peanut for sure... so skinny!

Babe loves her Daddy... Mommy turns into second fiddle when Daddy gets home... he has to do everything with her! She just loves to be carried around by her Daddy! What a little princess!

She is a super sleeper... she sleeps from 7:30 PM until 7:30-8 AM... sometimes even later! Then she proceeded to take a 3 hour afternoon nap. What a girl!

She is such a happy girl and has the most adorable expressions... however I will be the first to admit she can bit a bit sassy... hair pulling, NO, and hitting to get her way to name a few. She is definitely the BABY! :)

Alexis is 19 Months Old!

And to think at this age with Jacob I had a 2 month old I just simply can't get over! She is such my little baby girl yet she is getting so big and so independent I can't help but want to bottle her up!
Alexis is such a sweet yet very sassy girl. We have struggled with hitting and hair pulling this month BIG time! I think alot of it has to do with invasion of her personal space by her older sister. The only mechanism she has to fight back is to hit or pull Grace's long hair. Ouch. We just keep reminding her of what is right and wrong... hopefully she'll catch on!
Just when I thought Alexis couldn't say anymore she surprises me... I honestly couldn't even list all that she says now... BUT some of the things she says are: banana, apple, water, juice, milk, cracker, fish, buh, brother, Grace, Mama, Dada, Doe, Gigi, Tete, Bella, Brady, Rylie, Carter, more, shoe, bye, hi, yeah, no, baby, up, I Got It, Yowzers, Me, and well the list goes on....
Alexis loves Wiggles & Mickey Mouse! She sits and watches them so nice... she also loves to sleep with her little Minnie doll, can't wait to take her to Disney! In the car she often goes into a coma... while watching her movies, kinda cracks us up! She is also quiet the dancer... and boy can she shake those hips when her favorite wiggles song comes on!
She has her buh only at nap/nighttime and does so well with this. She sleeps from about 7:30 pm until 8 am... and then takes a 2-3 hour nap... very similiar to what Grace did at this same age. All three of my kids were awesome at going right in and falling asleep... which makes me very happy!
We love the little snuggles we get from our baby girl when she gets up from nap and when we watch movies as a family. Nothing like a snuggle from your last baby.... such a treasure.
And in addition to our illness last winter we have already started to get some winter type colds/chest issues. She has been on the nebulizer already once this winter... the one major downfall to these issues is that when she feels crappy she tends to not eat as much as she usually does. Although if we have one of her favorites... LOOK OUT! :)

18 Month Old Baby Girl...

Our baby is sure growing fast! Seems like just yesterday we had one infant and now we have three budding children! Time sure does fly as we cherish them and what they have brought into our lives!
Babe has begun to gain alot of physical strength... she can go up and down steps basically on her own. She also has started to run! As far as fine motor development goes she can drink from a cup and eat with utensils all on her own now! It's a new chapter in our lives as we have spent the last 5 years feeding people... its nice to have 3 independent children!
Alexis loves babies... dolls... the kitchen... and anything girly! HOWEVER... she will play for and fight for anything her siblings or Bella has! She loves taking a baby to bed with her and ALWAYS has to have her blanket a certain side up... satin side up! She is just like her Momma, who always grasped (while on her tummy) the satin side of a blanket. Can't put Alexis to bed without one under her face and another on her back... such a little princess!
Her vocabulary amazes me.... she is so vocal! She says almost anything... her favorite words are "baby", "buh" (her pacifier) and "NO!"... she can now combine words, mainly two word combos.
She loves to eat, yet still continues to be so small! She loves goldfish, cheerios, blueberries, oranges, apples (asks by name for those quiet often!), cheese (another request), pizza, soup, grilled cheese, spaghetti, milk and crackers.
Alexis is into shoes... she loves getting her coat and shoes in the morning as well as everyone elses! She is the official shoe closet checker... she is constantly in there and loves to "re-organize" all its contents! UGH...
She also loves Daddy and loves to take Abby outside... she can't get enough of either of these things... it's sweet.

Jacob's God Synopsis

The kids have been driving by a house damaged by fire on their way home from school... they have been very worried about the family and their belongings. One day Doe was explaining to them about how you just "Get Out" and that "God will take care of getting you the things you need... toys, clothes, food, etc.". She then said to Jacob... "You know who God is, right Jacob?" To which he replied with a huge grin... "Yup, Pops!"

Jacob's 5th Birthday Party!

Jacob had a haunted birthday party at the Macomb Rec Center... we enjoyed Pizza, Cake, Cupcakes, Spider Cookies, & lots of other goodies. The kids got to play, break a pinata, eat and SWIM! :) It was a busy... crazy... party, but tons of fun! Jacob got so many nice things... our family and friends are always so very generous. AND most importantly, he was surrounded by so many friends and family that love and care for him. It was a great day... and he was so appreciative.
The day after his party... he said to me... "Mom, when will I be 5?"... I said "On Tuesday." To which he replied... "Does it take God that long to change your number?" ... what a funny kid!

Alexis... 17 Months Old!

Alexis talking so much... she says so many words. New ones daily! I'm so proud of this smart little cookie we have! Some of her favorite words are: Gigi, Mama, NO, Dada, Bellllda (Bella!),Doe, Hi, Bye-ya, Bus, Brady, Carter, Rylie, Brother, Grace, kids, VRROOM, belly, woah, book, uh-oh, this, that, eyes, nose, wa-dat (what's that), side (outside), Mine-a (Mine), shoes, good girl, my brush (my toothbrush), water... and I'm sure I'm forgetting more!! She can also combine two words... like "good girl", "what's that" and/or "my brush". That is at least an 18 month milestone... so she hit that very early and it makes me proud!
We have been practicing body parts... she loves her belly button and points to it all the time. She loves to look at pictures/herself and talk about body parts as well. She loves to play that game!
Alexis loves being outside. She keeps herself busy no matter where she goes. She is so easy going.. UNLESS she has other plans.. then look out. She is our little diva.
Alexis, unlike her sibs, isn't totally fond of other babies.. well lets face it... she is the BABE... so in her eyes... she is the ONE & ONLY! :) However she loves to play with babies, purses, cars, crayons, kitchens, and anything musical. She also really enjoys dental hygiene... she could/would brush her teeth all day if we'd let her!
She has all the teeth she is suppose to have and weighs a little over 20 lbs... our tiny, tiny peanut! Clothing she has is still 6-12 months. As far as shoes go, she is in a 5.
Babe is so special to all of us... we love her so very much. Jacob and Grace are constantly looking out for and wanting to help her. It is so sweet how much they care for and love her.
Post tubes we have now had an additional 3 ear infections... poor girl. Luckily she is such a trooper.
Sleep has been a little irratic lately. She goes down between 7:30 and 8 and sleeps till 7:00-7:30. She also still takes at least a 2 hour nap... sometimes more, during the day. She loves to eat and will eat anything you give her. In the last month she has discovered how much she really enjoys dips (ketchup, ranch, etc). And you can't get the bottle out, without sharing some with her. She loves her milk... but is also really enjoying drinking water from a big girl cup. She is also getting really good at spoon feeding herself things like applesauce, macaroni, etc. She definitely has big sisters eating habits/style.

I love...

kids Halloween jammies... I dread the day I can't get them a new pair of holiday jammies! I love dressing them alike in them and seeing them snuggle all warm and toasty as they fall asleep. Every year my 3 kiddo's have had matching jammies...and I.LOVE.IT. :)

Kick the bucket...

Today Doe was fixing one of Alexis' toys and she said "Who is going to take care of all this stuff when I kick the bucket?" To which Jacob replied "What bucket?". It was so stinkin' cute!

Keeping it warm...

Tonight up north we had a movie/popcorn party. After the kids were finished we had a pretty large bowl still sitting there. Our little busy body Grace jumped up took her napkin and covered up the remaining popcorn with her napkin. I asked her what she was doing and she told me "Keeping it warm, Mom!".

Alexis... at 16 Months

Each and every time I look at my 16 month old baby girl, I can't help but think how far we have come in 5 years... 3 kids later I'm loving motherhood to it's fullest and consider each of my three beautiful children a huge blessing!! I still can't believe our "baby" is now 16 months old! Time is flying by.
Alexis is growing into such a little ham. She is our baby doll and has quite the attitude... a cute one at that! She is always "talking" and laughing, especially with the "kids" as she likes to call them. She says so many words now, it's amazing how much she can say. Some of her favorites are NO, kids, Jacob, Grace, Mama, Rylie, Brady, Dog, Water, Mine-A (said with some real attitude), Belda, and more I know I'm forgetting. I think she is going to be a people person... she loves attention, people and saying people's names.
Babe loves being outside... she loves playing in the clubhouse or riding in the corvette. She thinks she is such a big shot riding around with the "kids" in there. She also loves bubbles, pushing outdoor toys, and sand.
She is doing so well climbing up the stairs... almost too well. We really need to work on going down safely. Some other things she enjoys inside are: books, purses, strollers, babies, and any toy that she can carry around. She also loves being sung too... some of her fav's are: itsy bitsy spider, ABC song, Ba, Ba, Blacksheep.
Alexis is a champ eater... she loves pizza, spaghetti, milk, cheese, waffles, fruit, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese and well... anything!
She is still our little peanut... and is not fitting into the 12-18 month stuff I've purchased for her OR the 18-24 month stuff her sister used at this age. So... back into the 6-12 month stuff from last year! She wears a size 5 shoe... and of course her first pair of shoes were Lelli Kelly's! Was there ever any doubt???

No More Buh's Here...

Over Labor Day weekend up north Alexis completely gave up her pacifier. She had been only taking it when she slept (and was so good about that), but she hasn't been feeling well and doesn't even want it when it is offered to her! She made that SO easy! I've been blessed to have easy "weaning" kids!
I do have to admit its a little sad to see those adorable pink glitter personalized pacifiers go!! :(