Figuring It Out

Pictures!!

Before Charlie was born, my sister and I bought outfits for our three boys to have their pictures made in this fall. Of course we were guessing on sizes for Charlie and Tripp. Well, Charlie has been doing a lot of growing lately, and he had to go on and take the pictures before he outgrew his outfit! I had to let the buttons out to even be able to button the outfit!!

I was looking for someone to take some pictures of the boys, because I knew that someone else would be able to make them cooperate better than I would and I wanted to get some really great pictures of them, since I haven't had any professional pictures done since Charlie was born. I saw some pictures that Ragan took of some of my friends kids and I thought the pictures she took were great. I contacted her and she was very accommodating and would be able to take the pictures when we wanted to have them done.  We met her on Wednesday morning at the Clinton Community Nature Center, which is a neat place, and we let her work her magic! With three boys 3 years old and younger, we knew it would be a challenge. She was great with them and from the preview we have seen she got some great pictures! She took a lot of pictures and we will get a full album to view and choose prints from in the next two weeks. But here are the images she has shared with us so far!

She is working on her website right now, so if you want her contact info and can't find it on her site, just let me know!

My BIG boy!!

Luke is going to preschool 4 days a week this year. He started yesterday, and he LOVES it! We went last week to meet his new teacher (Mrs. Courtney)

Mrs. Courtney has already been such an amazing teacher! I have had so many questions and concerns with this being my first baby going to preschool and she has been SO helpful and patient with all my questions. She is so much fun, and I know Luke loves her! It makes me feel better dropping him off knowing that he is in such good hands! She has a love for 3 year olds and has been teaching them for 7 years! I am SO thankful that she is his teacher, and that she has the gift of loving and teaching 3 year olds, because I couldn't do it!

She told me on the first day of school she asked the class if anyone knew her name. And Luke said "I do, You're Mrs. Courtney"

First morning of preschool- he insisted that Charlie be in one of his pictures

We were told to drop them off at carpool the first day of school, so they would know that was the routine, any of you who know me- know this was a big challenge for me, because I SO wanted to take him in and take all the pictures for the scrapbook and make sure he was settled and everything. But I knew it was a good thing to do, so I pulled up to the carpool line, and one of of the 4 year old teachers opened the car door. He looked at her and said "I'm Luke" and just got out of the car and walked off and never even turned around to wave or anything!

I have been so worried about the whole potty thing at school, because Luke does great at home, but will often get involved and forget to tell me he needs to go when we are somewhere else. Mrs. Courtney has been great to help ease my concerns about everything! I had so many questions before he started, and I worried about him his whole first day, but he did great! 

My cousin, Jenna works at the church where Luke goes to preschool, so I gave her my camera to get a few pictures of him on his first day, so I wouldn't disrupt his first day, but I HAD to have a few pictures!

Today Mrs. Courtney took this picture of Luke- He LOVES to play dress up, so I was not surprised by this one at all!

Just a few funny little stories I am going to jot down so I don't forget them, they are quite amusing!

Luke has been telling me for a few weeks now that he wants to be a firefighter when he grows up. Yesterday, he said, "Mama, when I grow up, I want to be a firefighter and a doctor and a builder and an angel"

Today after school, he told me his favorite part of school was "sitting with Jesus". Mrs. Courtney later told me, he sat on a Jesus statue today and had his picture made.

He also told me yesterday that he "pushed somebody". And I said, did you really, and he said "yes, we push our friends". I assured him that he is not supposed to push anyone, and if he pushed someone he would get in trouble. I couldn't believe he would have pushed someone, because he is not aggressive usually! I asked his teacher about it and she told me she didn't think he had pushed anyone. Today when he got in the car, I asked him if he pushed anyone today, and he said "no, but Brylie and Owen pushed me". I knew good and well that they hadn't both pushed him and I was kind of confused so I kept asking him questions and he started talking about taking turns pushing. And I finally realized he was talking about pushing each other on the swings!

5 months old

Charlie boy was 5 months old on the 10th. I know I am a week and a day late on posting!! But my boys have been keeping me busy! Charlie is growing WAY too fast! 

He is sitting up on his own. 

But he much prefers to be on the move. So if he sits up, he only sits for a minute and then leans over so he can get on his stomach and roll or scoot or do his version of crawling wherever he wants to go! 

Is it just me, or is 5 months old too young for them to be mobile?? I want him to stay a baby!!

He loves all the baby food that he has tried so far and is a very good eater!

He is so happy most all of the time, and so when he went through a few days where he was very fussy and not eating well, I took him to the doctor, and he had his first ear infection! :( Poor baby has been on antibiotics for the last week, but seems to be doing better! And he is finally sleeping through the night now which makes mama really happy!!!

Busy Summer

I have had every intention to post updates on several occasions, but other things (like swimming) always seem to come up! We have enjoyed lots of time at the pool with cousins and friends in the past few weeks. We have also taken a few road trips. We have also been very focused on perfecting Luke's potty skills before he starts preschool in the fall! He would wear diapers forever if i would let him, he just doesn't want to stop playing or doing what he is doing to go to the bathroom. He has been going on the potty when we put him on it for over a year, but he has just now started telling us when he needs to go! It was quite an interesting process!

There are lots of updates below, so be sure to check them all out, click on the collages of pictures to make them larger. I just didn't have the patience to post all the pictures separately! I am hoping to start updating more regularly when Luke starts school (which is only 2.5 weeks away)! He is so excited and so is Mama!

Here are some pictures from all of our swimming fun in the last few weeks!

Visit from friends

Last week, my best friend Gini and her three kiddos came to spend the day with us on their way to visit family. We really enjoyed catching up and the kids all had a great time together, I really wish they lived closer so we could see each other more often and our kids could play more!! Thanks guys for coming to visit!

Charlie- Four Months old

.... on July 10th! I know I am late posting this by several weeks, but we just recently went for Charlie's 4 month check up. He weighed 16 pounds and 5 ounces! He is healthy and growing! He is changing so much and learning so much every day! He is rolling and scooting all over the place. He has started noticing and picking up toys and chewing on them. He love the jumper, even though he doesn't really jump in it yet, he just kinda swings around and bounces every now and then. He also enjoys the exersaucer. We have started giving him cereal and a few baby foods. He really seems to enjoy having some solid foods! He especially loves applesauce! He is such a happy baby unless he is hungry or sleepy! He laughs all the time and smiles SO easily! He is such a joy!

He makes some of the funniest faces too, here are just a few that have been caught on camera

Here are some more pictures from the last few weeks as well

Memphis

We went to Memphis to visit family and also to go see Wicked at the Orpheum! Jessica, our cousin Jenna and I all went one night and then my mom and aunts went the second night (they watched the kids for us while we went!) Luke got to play with his cousins in Memphis, and they even all dressed up like cows for Cow Appreciation Day at Chic-fil-a. This was Charlie's first trip to Memphis, and my first time to take both boys on a road trip by myself! Everyone did great and we all enjoyed our trip!

Fourth of July

We went to Lake St. John for the 4th of July to celebrate with Lee's family. Luke loved swimming in the lake and playing with his cousins, and Charlie loved having so many people to hold him!

Brothers

I am so glad my boys love each other so much already! I hope their love for each other just continues to grow as they get older! 

Luke loves his little brother, and whenever he hears him cry, he will usually go talk to him or go give him his pacifier or sing him a song to try to make him stop crying. Occasionally, when he is watching a movie and Charlie starts to cry, he will say "Mama, he is too loud!" 

Luke never wants Charlie to be left out and always asks if he can go with us if we are talking about going somewhere. He will also ask if Charlie can watch him when he needs to go to the potty. And he loves to tell me what he and Charlie will do when Charlie is a big boy! One day when Luke and Charlie were both down for naps, i heard Charlie crying, and I knew he shouldn't be awake yet. When I went to check on him, Luke was IN the baby bed with Charlie, when he was supposed to be asleep in his own bed! 

Whenever Charlie sees his big brother, he just smiles and watches him, and all Luke has to do to make Charlie laugh, is talk to him! 

I think these two are going to keep us on our toes!!

Luke's Birthday party

We had a swimming party for Luke's birthday at my grandmother's pool. And I am very thankful we did, because it was SO hot the day of his party. The kids all had a good time swimming and Luke got some really neat presents! This is the first year he has really understood and gotten into thee whole birthday party thing. After having been to many of his friends parties, he was so excited for his!He is already talking about his birthday next year!