Quick Post

This post is going to be quick. Why? Well, Bryton is asleep in his swing, and Vivi is content playing by herself at the moment..and that usually doesn't last long.

So, here's a quick update on everybody. Bryton went for his 4 month check up last week. He weighed 17 lbs, 1 oz. I'm not sure how long he was, but his length measured in the 90th percentile (out of 100 boys his age, he's longer than 90 of them) and his weight was in the 95th percentile. The doctor said that he looked good and to just keep it up. He's not rolling all the way over yet, but can get about 3/4 of the way from his back to his belly. He's still eating the same - about every 4 hours during the day (at 9am, 1pm, 5pm, and 9pm), about 30 minutes at a time, and then gets a bath before bedtime. Of course the eating times are flexible...he didn't get up until after 10 today, but we'll still try to get him in bed by 9:30 tonight. We got him a new bathtub. The one that we were using (used it with V too) is made out of hard plastic and has a sling that you attach to the sides when they are little. But, we did away with the sling a long time ago - he was too chunky to be suspended in it. Anyway, a couple of nights ago, when Kyle was getting soap out of the bath wash bottle, the bottle made a burping sound and it scared Bryton (why any body-like noises scare him, I'll never know) and he threw his head back and bonked it on the hard plastic tub. He cried and cried inconsolably for over 30 minutes - really threw us for a loop b/c he never screams to the point that being held or talked to or fed wouldn't settle him down. Kyle and I had never heard him hit those notes before. Anyway, there was no bump on his head, so maybe it just scared him? I don't know. It took him a while, but he calmed down and then I fed him and put him to bed and he was down for the night.

So, this brings us to the new bathtub! We had heard (from friends of ours) that they make a bathtub that is like a bouncy seat that is made to sit in the big bathtub, or kitchen sink in our case. I took Vivi and Bryton to Wal-Mart yesterday to get a couple of things, and while I was there, I saw the bouncy seat tub - so we got it and no head injuries last night. Whew!

Old Bath Tub (which we were very fond of until a couple of nights ago):

New Bath Tub

So, we are glad to avoid that issue in the future. Other Bryton news? Well, over the past few days, we've been trying to get him to take a bottle once a day or so instead of nursing because in a couple of weeks, we are headed to Detroit for my brother's wedding! We are so excited to go, but Kyle, V and me are in the wedding party....so it will probably be more convenient for Bryton to eat from a bottle on the wedding day instead of me stepping out to feed him (again, 30 minutes usually) during pictures or something. But, it's not going so well. He's refused the bottle a couple of times, but taken it a couple of times. I'm putting freshly expressed milk in there, so the milk is the same. Any moms been through that and have any suggestions? I don't want him screaming in starvation because he won't take a bottle...poor baby. I also don't feel good about letting him fuss it out thinking, "He'll eat from a bottle when he gets hungry enough"...Oh well. Maybe he'll get it in the next week or so.

As for Vivi, she's definitely ready for some regular preschool interaction. She doesn't see many other kids to play with that often, so she's ready to have some strictly kid interaction in a kid-friendly environment (not the grocery store). She's getting excited about her birthday party! She'll be 3 on Aug 4 ,and her party is Aug 22. We are going to have it at a gymnastics studio here in town. They set up age appropriate obstacle courses and let them play in their bouncy indoor play area. Should be great! I took her to the party store and let her pick out party stuff - what kind of cake she wanted, invitations, cups, plates, napkins, balloons, etc. She had a great time. She kept telling me that her birthday party was in the car (where we put the party supplies). Anyway, we try to have 'school time' every day - doing connect the dot workbook pages, counting exercises etc. Some days are better than others, as far as length of time she's willing to sit still and work.

Well, that's about it for now. More later this week? You never know!

Top Ten Conversations in our Family...I'm Getting Really Tired of Some of Them

1. Vivi, did you wipe your bottom? (said by Mama)

This is said every time after Vivi comes out of the bathroom. Usually, the answer is no. Appropriate action is then taken.

2. Well, I want a new car. (said by Mama)

This is said after Vivi comes up and says that she wants something...for example, "Mama..I want some milk!" Then I say, "Well, I want a new car." We're trying to get her to ask nicely for things. So, I explain that just because we want something, doesn't mean that it is owed to us. We have to work hard. Her working hard for her milk is saying politely, "Mama...may I please have some more milk?"

3. Where's Daddy? (said by Vivi)

Vivi says this at least 3 times a day. He's at work, Vivi. He's always at work. He will always be at work. No, he can't play princess with you while he's at work. You're stuck with Mom for the day. I can take you to Playdate if you wish.

4. Take Wooly back to your room. (said by Mama/Daddy)

She is starting to get sneaky and bring Wooly, her night and nap time sleepy buddy, to play during the day. I like to save Wooly for sleep time and reserve its use so that it's a treat if she gets Wooly other than nap or night time (works well in the car or airplane for long trips).

5. Yes, Vivi, you can wear a princess dress today. (said by Mama)

She has deemed every pink dress in her closet a princess dress.

6. Quit be-bopping around. (said by Mama/Daddy)

We tell Vivi this often. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term 'be-bop,' it refers to any antsy behavior that happens when she is not paying attention to the task at hand. Often, when one is be-bopping, one gets a boo-boo.

7. Sit on your bottom. (said by Mama/Daddy)

Why is it that if you are under the age of 10, it is physically impossible to sit on your bottom during the entirety of a meal? Vivi is getting better at staying seated, but still needs some work. Sometimes I tell her that if I see her bottom again, then I'll spank it.

8. Are you playing nicely? (said by Mama/Daddy)

Vivi gets frustrated when she can't do something. She is at the point where her mind is working faster than her body can coordinate. So, when she can't work a toy the way she wants, she tries a couple of times, gets mad, and then throws the toy, saying, "No, I DON'T want to play with it." Again, appropriate action is taken to stop the toy throwing.

9. Stop crying. It hurts my ears. (said by Mama/Daddy)

With her frustrations (mentioned in #8), she starts crying when she can't do something. She goes to tears in almost every situation that she is frustrated with. So much so that you can't understand her when she is telling you what she's mad about. You can tell her to stop crying and tell you what's wrong...and she will. Whew. Once when Bryton was fussing, I heard Vivi tell him, "That hurts my ears." ha!

10. Who's my sweet boy? (said by Mama)

Ok, I had to include Bryton in the top 10 somewhere. He really is a sweet thing and just as flirty as he can be. He loves smiling at you, making noises at you, trying to imitate the noises you are making at him, etc. He really is a sweetie. So, I ask him constantly when I'm talking to him, "Who's my sweet boy?" He always smiles in response.

If I was a super-blogger, I would pull coordinating pictures from our picture site to exemplify each point (well, most of them...I don't have a picture for point # 1. That's usually said when her pants are around her ankles and her shirt/dress is held up under her chin), but I've got a clean hungry little guy waiting for me. Ta-ta for now!

Myrtle Beach!

For the long 4th weekend, we packed up and headed to Myrtle Beach, SC. Kyle had Friday thru Monday off, so we hit the road on Thursday afternoon when he got home from work.

Prepping for a 4+ day trip for the 4 (well, 5 - Lexie went with us) of us took me all day on Wednesday. Seriously, that's all I did. I packed 6 outfits for each kid (plus they each have an extra in the diaper bag), and 5 for each Kyle and me. I updated my first aid kit that I keep in the diaper bag (because you know that when you travel unprepared is when things go wrong), got some travel sized toiletries, new netflix movie in the dvd player, and washed all the clothes. We had one large suitcase, holding clothes and shoes for Kyle and me, and our toiletries (including hair dryer, diabetic supplies, and a flattening iron - to include a list of larger items). Vivi and Bryton each had a smallish bag housing their clothes. Then, I had a toiletry bag for the kids. Packed in it were diapers, wipes, pull-ups, hair bows, baby washcloths, disposable changing pads, baby wash, hair bows, and Vivi's shampoo. Keeping count? That's 4 bags so far. Then there's my camera bag (had my fully charged SLR and video camera plus accessories...because you know that when you don't pack the battery charger is when you are hours from home and one of your kids does something even more spectacular than normal), Bryton's bouncy seat, play mat, bathtub, DVD player bag, Pack-N-Play, and boppy pillow. Oh yeah - there was also a large zip lock bag holding Lexie's leash, collar and small Tupperware dish filled with kibbles.

I had put all of the above items in the car (did this on Thursday...Kyle was able to get off around 2pm) and had everyone fed and pottied and cleaned when Kyle got home. He had flown that morning and needed a quick shower before getting in the car. As we are walking to the car, he said something that reminded me that I had forgotten to put his golf clubs in the car. So, he rearranged my fabulous neatly stacked car packing and put his clubs in. Then we were off to Myrtle Beach.

Why Myrtle Beach? The Davises.

Kyle met Willard and Carol Davis shortly after becoming a midshipman at USNA. They had lived in the Annapolis area for several years and had signed up to be a sponsor family for a midshipman Kyle's first year there. They were assigned Kyle, and little did they know what they'd be in for! They were such a great supportive 'home away from home' while Kyle was in school. They graciously let me stay with them every time I went to visit Kyle. We enjoyed taking Willard's Cadillac out for dinner, or just driving around town. About 4 years ago (maybe 5), they moved from Annapolis to Myrtle Beach, SC to take advantage of the wonderful golfing community. Anyway, fast-forward 12 years later, and here we are. Married, two kids, and a dog - headed to drop some craziness into their lives.

We arrived on Thursday night. It's about a 3 hour trip. The kids did great - the both slept most of the way. After arriving, we ate dinner, talked, and Vivi went for a ride in Willard's golf cart before heading to bed.

On Friday, Kyle and Willard played golf...so that left Carol and the kids and I to go shopping! New Bern, NC (our current local) isn't exactly known for it's wonderful shopping venues, so it was so nice to be in a city with about every retail chain store imaginable. We went to the Tanger Outlet center. It was pretty crowded, but we had a good time. I can't remember all of the stores we stopped at, but a huge Carter's was among them. It was packed with clothes...and shoppers too - kind of hard to maneuver around.

After returning from the shopping trip, Kyle and Willard had finished their golf. Kyle hasn't played in a long time and really enjoyed being on the course again.

That night, we had steak, fresh locally grown tomatoes, and potatoes. It was a great dinner. Afterwards, we went to the pool in their community. Vivi and Kyle splashed around in the pool. She still can't swim, but is getting more comfortable in the water.

On Saturday (the 4th), we went to Freestyle Music Park. In honor of the 4th of July, military members and their dependants got in free! So, Kyle, Carol, Vivi, Bryton and me went and enjoyed the day there. We got there right when they opened, and rode several rides with virtually no line. We enjoyed lunch there for $17.76 - 4 hot dogs, 4 sides, and 4 drinks. Great for an amusement park! After lunch we rode several more rides - Vivi really enjoyed them. When she first got on a ride, she was scared...but by the time it was over, she was saying, "Let's do it again!" Around 4:00, we left the park - it was getting pretty crowded by this point, and we were pretty tired.

For dinner that night, Willard grilled some chicken legs. We also had corn, tomatoes, and hm...I don't remember what else.

That brings us to Sunday! Kyle took Vivi to Ripley's Aquarium at Broadway at the Beach. She had a fantastic time looking at all of the sharks and other fish. While he was there, Carol and Bryton and I hit up the Tanger Outlets again. This time, we stopped at Osh Kosh, Hartstrings, and Ann Taylor Loft. I would have really really enjoyed going to Ann Taylor and Banana Republic (all outlet store at the Tanger Outlet center), but we ran out of time! For dinner Sunday night, we went to Islamarada Seafood Company (something like that). The food was good, but the waiter was fishing without bait. Nice, but a little clueless. Willard and I had shrimp for dinner, and I also stole a bit of Kyle's dragon roll - sushi with avocado, cream cheese, and crab. It was very good. Carol had a fried chicken salad, without the fried chicken (the waiter got the order wrong and then forgot it). Kyle enjoyed calamari and Vivi had macaroni and cheese, applesauce, and a bite of Kyle's calamari. She didn't spit it out, but she did only have the one bite.

Sunday night, we played the card game Kings Row. It's a lot of fun, but takes a while. For the first time in 4 years, the men beat the women. We'll get them next time, Carol.

On Monday, we packed and loaded the car; but during the process, Kyle noticed that we had a screw in a tire. So, he went and got that fixed, and Vivi, Carol and I went to the driving range and I hit part of a bucket of golf balls. It started to rain on us, so we drove around in the golf cart for a little bit - just looking at the neighborhood. After Kyle returned with the patched tire, we finished loading the car and stopped at a local sports bar for a late lunch before hitting the road.

We had a great weekend and really enjoyed our time with the Davises.

Sorry to wrap up this post so abruptly, but a little boy is fussing! More next time. See pics on our picture site!

Good Weekend

We went to Greenville, NC this weekend. It's a college town, home of Eastern Carolina University and is a pretty good sized town - bigger than New Bern. (Side note: this is where I was having to go to the doctor during my pregnancy..it takes an hour or hour and half to get there from our place).

Anyway, we went to Greenville yesterday so that Kyle could get measured for his tux for my brother's wedding (in Detroit August 1) at Men's Warehouse (thankfully there is a Men's Warehouse in Greenville...the next closest is in Raleigh). It was really nice to get out of New Bern for the day. When we first got there, we went to Chili's. I know, I know - not too exciting..but it's kid friendly and we like the food. We got some chips and salsa as a appetizer (Vivi was very careful not to get salsa on her shirt...she and Bryton were wearing their matching outfits), Vivi had a cheese quesadilla and mandarin oranges, Kyle had a grilled chicken sandwich, and I had a side salad and some chicken enchilada soup. Bryton snoozed in his car seat while we ate. After that, Kyle took Vivi into Men's Warehouse to get measured, and B-man and I stayed in the car ( so I could feed him). All of a sudden, a huge storm came though - big gushes of wind and big rain drops. And hail. Bryton was just eating away and I'm sitting there wondering if he and I should make a run for it and head inside the store...or stay put. Putting those thoughts aside, I pulled out my diaper-bag camera and took some pictures of the hail. We didn't see any as big as golf balls, but some good size ones none the less. The storm passed about 20 minutes later. Bryton and I enjoyed watching people run through the parking lot holding their jackets and umbrellas over their heads, trying to avoid getting any moisture during this huge storm. Haha.

After the storm passed, Kyle and Vivi came out of Men's Warehouse and Vivi told me all about the storm with its scary thunder and lightening. Then, she and I went to a nail salon to get a mani-pedi. Kyle took Bryton to Best Buy during this. When we walked into the salon, we got a look...I don't think they had ever seen a 2 year old in their establishment before. Anyway, nobody there spoke great English, so I couldn't convey to them that I wanted them to soak Vivi's feet, file her toenails, and paint them. A mini-pedi if you will. Well, she sat in my lap while I got my toes done. It was nice. There was a lady in the chair next to us, and Vivi looked at her feet and said, "Mama..that lady has dirt on her feet." The lady had to have heard, but didn't chuckle or look annoyed...but I laughed. I thought it was cute. After the pedi, we went to the manicure chair...where we were able to successfully communicate that Vivi would get a mini-manicure. She chose pink nail polish (of course) and you could just tell that she felt like such a big girl.

After our nails were done, we met Kyle and Bryton at Best Buy. When Vivi saw Kyle, she ran up to him proudly showing off her nails. He told her how pretty they were. We walked around Best Buy, not looking for anything in particular, just enjoying being in a town with a Best Buy. I pushed Bryton around for a while and then saw Vivi and Kyle playing one of the video gaming systems they have set up for patrons to try. They were playing Rock Band - a Wii or Playstation game... So there is my husband, playing bass guitar, and my little princess with her freshly painted pink fingernails holding two drumsticks playing the drum set for a Metallica (a very hard hard rock 'musical' group..i.e. Kyle used to listen to their 'songs' while he was working out) song. I wish I had a picture (my diaper bag camera was in the car).

Leaving Best Buy, we went to the mall (yes - an actual indoor mall!) where we looked at all the shops! I found shoes for Vivi and me for Uncle Evan's wedding. Check in the box! After leaving the mall, we stopped at McAlister's Deli for some dinner and then hit the road, headed home.

After we got home, we put Vivi and Bryton to bed. Then, we watched the movie, Fireproof. I highly recommend it. It was a great 'feel good' movie. http://fireproofmymarriage.com/. The movie deals with a couple who are navigating their hum-drum marriage and the difference that's made after they try to apply Jesus' love in their marriage. Anyway, watch it if you get the chance. It will make you want to be a better spouse.

Well, other little bits of comedy this week...hm...we have a Wii (a video gaming system that uses motion interactive controls...). One of the games we have is the Wii Fit game. You can play balance games, semi-aerobic games, strength training games, etc. Well, of the games included is a Yoga game. You stand on the supplied balance board and do the yoga poses while the balance board measures your balance/stationary ability. Well, the other day, I was doing some yoga poses and Vivi says, "Mama..I do yoga too." there she is stading beside me with her right foot up on her left thigh and her hands together above her head. Too funny. She said that she likes yoga. We'll do some again tonight.

Have a great week!. Be sure to check out corresponding pictures on our picture site - link is above on the right.

Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

Well, I heard some sad news today...Three Little Fishes, a speciality children's clothing store located about 2 miles from my house, and the only one around, is going out of business. The silver lining? Everything was half off! So, I did some shopping. I think after today I will need to remove my debit card from my wallet. Until next pay-day, that is. I hope nobody but Bryton gets hungry this week.

Anyway, I got the kids some clothes - some really cute stuff! Their inventory was pretty low, so we didn't have a whole lot to choose from, but I had some good finds for Vivi and Bryton as well as some baby gifts, too.

So, here's some of what I got Vivi and Bryton.

A pacifier clip for Bryton, and a ponytail holder for Vivi.

Two adorable dresses for Vivi (in size 4t - to last!) and a white sweater with little pearl buttons for winter.

Two little Feltman Bros. bubble suits (he has another one or two in his closet).

I think I got great deals on these! Maybe I should buy more at these great prices and sell them on ebay...hm...

Anyway, it was a lot of fun. Plus, I got B-man some more footed pjs...I love the zip ones, but they are hard to find. So, I just got some with snaps. He is getting SO long, and growing out of his clothes way way too fast.

Well, it didn't seem like a big deal until I got home and was putting the clothes away in Bryton's armoire. I only keep in his armoire what he can currently fit in. Things that are too big or too small go in the closet. So, here are some pictures of what all is in his armoire. Looking at it all, he might not need anything else in the 3 month size (what I got today was 6 or 9 month). Note - if you have gotten Bryton something to wear and you don't see it in the following pictures, it means that it's either too big or too small right now or is in his laundry basket or diaper bag, or he's wearing it. It doesn't mean that I don't like it. Note - these are in addition to pjs, onesies, and lounge pants. I don't know about you, but it sure seems like an awful lot for a little boy who grows out of things every couple of months.

I don't mind having that many things for Vivi - (she's got a lot more than he does) because she can wear things for a year or two. She had on an outfit yesterday that was over a year old.

Anyway, I guess I will stop buying things for Bryton for a while. Now that we live somewhere with more definite seasons, it's tough to determine what size he will be in during which temperature range.

Other news? Well, Bryton is getting a tooth! I can't believe it! Vivi was about 8 or 9 months when she got her first tooth...and Bryton was 3 months and one week when I (a friend, actually) noticed it. Plus, remember that he was born a month early. Had he been full term, he'd be 2 months and one week with a tooth peeking in. Sheesh! I'm a little bit in disbelief that time is just flying by with him. Nobody teach him how to bite...please.

Well, we had a great Father's Day, even though Kyle and I were not with either of our dads. We had some friends come over for lunch and had a great day. Vivi was so excited to have all of her friends over! There were 8 adults and 8 and half kids (ages 5, 4, 2, 2, 18 mo, 9 mo, 9 mo, and 3 mo...and -5 weeks)....and a dog. We really had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed all of our company! We'll do it again soon!

Want some comedy before I wrap up this post? (Don't read this part, Mom). The other day, Vivi was sitting on the potty, crying. I went running in to see what was wrong. She looked at me with sad, sad eyes and said "There's a crack in my hiney."

Have a great week!

A Couple of Interesting Things....

Ok, well, just a quick post to let you know that we've had a couple of interesting things happen this week.

First, I washed ANOTHER pull up yesterday. Ahhhh!!! I have since attached a pull up to the handle of Vivi's laundry basket as a reminder to check before putting the contents of the basket in the washing machine.

Second, Bryton has pink eye! He's had some eye drainage over the past week or so, and I took him to the doctor (via the urgent car clinic on base) today. The doctor said that he has pink eye and prescribed an erythromycin eye ointment. So, it should clear up in the next couple of days.

That's all for now!

Three Months!

Well, today Bryton is 3 months old! Phew! I don't have a lot of time to blog right now, but wanted to at least mention this milestone! He gets more and more handsome every day; looking at his picture, don't you want to just gobble him up? He's such a social little thing - loves being talked to and being part of the action. He loves for Vivi to talk to him...although most of what she says is, "Hi little boy...Hi Mr. B (what I call him sometimes)...it's okay - don't be scared of the thunder (she says that to Lexie, Cheer Bear, and Wooly too)." It's getting more difficult to get a picture of him smiling..he doesn't like for me to 'hide' behind the camera, especially after I've been talking to him eye to eye. He fusses at me for that.

Anyway, he really is a sweet boy...or maybe I'm just treasuring his sweetness more because Vivi is not at her sweetest right now...she has had a pretty good week since Kyle came back (he got in Saturday night) but still has her challenging 2 (almost 3) year old moments. I can't think of anything funny she's said lately...I'll be sure to post it when I do.

I'm sure you also want to know about my scrap booking progress....well, I'm halfway through December 2007. Thanks to my wonderful husband who has bathed the kids and watched them after dinner and done pretty much everything for them until they go to sleep (except nurse Bryton...I guess that'd be asking a lot..haha) I've been able to scrapbook a couple of nights this week. So, I'm making progress....I'm definitely in the quick pages mode - just pasting the pictures on with some pretty paper. Don't worry - I'm journaling, too, just abbreviated versions.

Well, that's all for now...gonna clean up a little while Mr. B is snoozing!