18 MONTHS and lots of updates (sorry, it's been a while again)...

Yep, the boys are officially 1 1/2 years old now. CRAZY how fast time flies.... yet I feel this pregnancy is just inching along. To date I am just over 26 weeks, about to enter my 3rd trimester... yet I look like I am full term. We had another OB appt last Friday (May 1st) and I measured 2 weeks ahead (my belly) and we asked our OB if he would do another ultrasound for us, just to verify it is, indeed, a girl in there .... and he was more than happy to do a quickie ultrasound for us. And he validated it for us..... it is our little Evelyn Christine in there - no questions about it now. So it is official, we can sell all the boys clothes that they have outgrown and start buying some pink :) So if any of you out there are in the market for some VERY nice, gently used boys clothes, we have TONS that we will be selling at a garage sale in the next couple months hopefully. Let's see, what else is new with us..... Chris had to go to NYC for 4days/3nights to take a test (licensure to do surveying in NY state) which was my first time being with the boys alone for that long of a stint. Usually Gma Chris comes up to help when he has to go somewhere, but we thought we would tough it out this time. It all went well, tho I was exhausted by the end of every day. We also just got back from an overnight stay at Treasure Island Resort and Casino. The Hoglund/Ledwein family got together for a day/night of gambling, drinking (except me), and taking in the Temptations Review show there. Always a fun time with that crew - will have to plan another one of those "adults only" getaways after Evie arrives so I can partake in the drinking portion next time. :) House is still on the market, we've had a couple showings the past weekends but no offers yet - hoping the market keeps picking up. And we've been trying to take advantage of all the nice days we've had recently to go on walks and get the boys outside and running around. They LOVE being outside (duh)... the only downfall is when we have to go back in.... MacKay throws the worst temper tantrums when we go back inside. He's a true outdoors man just like his Daddy.

Some general updates on the boys: We're using forks/sporks, spoons and bowls/plates a lot more now..... should be noted, that we only use bowls/plates with suction grips as they try their darnedest to get those off their tray and throw them. But they are getting so much better at using utensils - YAY. The boys accompanied me to a lunch with my old coworkers a couple weeks ago too and were very well behaved little flirts. Gma Chris came up to visit that weekend as well and made it up in time to join for lunch and help me with the boys so I could visit more with my friends which was very nice. Later, after their nap, Gma Chris and I brought the boys up to Zaisers (in Nisswa Square) to get the boys some new shoes. Come to find that I am a horrible mother who has been putting shoes on her kids that are WAY too small for them. The shoes they had been wearing were 5.5 (wide for Oscar). MacKay measured in at a size 6.... and Oscar just over 6.5. YIKES. Definitely a good time for new shoes. So we got the boys some new Keen Newport H2 sandals and they LOVE them (as do we). Oscar got a size 7, and MacKay size 6 - THANK YOU GMA CHRIS. Gma Chris also got to see just how much of a handful these little boys are while we were there too.... chasing after them the entire time in the store (thankfully they didn't pull anything down or break anything). They kept trying to make a break for the door and get outside. Needless to say, we were both exhausted and sweating after that experience trying to keep up with them - man they are FAST. Gma Chris also got to partake in the haircutting experience at Great Clips that weekend too.... they both looked so handsome afterwards (regardless of tear stained faces), even though MacKay got scalped in a few areas (the stylist claims HE moved when she was trying to use the clippers). They both love to sit on our laps lately and do Itsy Bitsy Spider (they do the spider movement with their hands/fingers), the ECFE Choo Choo song (patting lap) and Patty Cake. Both can accurately point out (on themselves or others) nose, eyes, mouth, ears, cheeks, hair, feet/foot/toes, hands, belly, and butt :). And they have learned how to "blow kisses" back at you as well. They are little sponges lately. "All Done" is a new word/phrase we hear a lot from them during mealtimes lately too - right along with it they are doing the ASL sign for it too. And they understand SO much more now as well.... like, Let me check your pants, let's go change your pants, time to brush teeth, let's go get our PJs on, Let's go outside, Go to the car, Sit down, Go to your high chair .... etc. And there is LOTS of fighting over toys (or us) lately too. Oscar wants anything that MacKay has.... yet MacKay thinks that when he leaves a toy for another, that the other toy is still his - so if Oscar actually waits his turn and for MacKay to give up a toy, MacKay will freak out if Oscar goes and plays with something he has left behind. We've tried a lot more new things to eat too.... Pizza Burgers was the most shocking one. Chris and I even tried them first and commented that there was NO WAY they were going to eat them cuz they were SO zesty and spicy. But MacKay dug right in and ate about 3/4 of a burger by himself. The faces he makes are so hilarious too.... he looks like a ravenous animal tearing into the carcass of another (see pictures below). We're now eating normal cereals for breakfast and the boys seem to love them: rice crispies, cheerios and golden grahams - they were getting pretty bored with the same old Oatmeal every morning I think. I should also note that at their 18 month check up the boys were at or above average with weight and height. Oscar was 27 lbs 6 oz (65%) and 33" (75%) and MacKay was 26 lbs (50%) and 33" (75%). And I am happy to report that the boys are getting over yet another cold and the runny noses are starting to subside. Onto some details about each....

MacKay: MacKay has developed quite a few more words lately.... Eyes (points them out on EVERYTHING), Mouth (sound like "M-ow"), Up (finally... been working on that one for a while), Evie (so cute), Yes, Wow and Puppy. And along with a lot of words... he has a ton of new teeth. He now has 15 total.... just one more to go (upper left molar which should pop through the skin any day now) and he will have caught up with Oscar. At that point they both will just have their 2nd/2 year molars left to go and they will have all their baby teeth. We also have had to do some more safety proofing in the house.... as far as MacKay is concerned, we had to buy those door knob covers cuz he has now figured out how to open room doors - even the ones that stick a bit and are hard for even us to open. Poor MacKay got hit the hardest (he always seems to) with this recent cold.... had a temp for a couple days and just generally looked like a Mac truck ran him over for a while there. Turns out he did have some inflammation and fluid in his ears - so the doc put him on antibiotics. But he also has been the fastest to recover as well, so that evens things out a bit.

Oscar: Oscar has developed a few more words as well .... Eyes (points too), and Nose, Owie (Ahh-wee), Whoa, Hi, and No (or I should say "No no no no"). Our biggest news for Oscar though.... to add onto the previous post - Oscar finally escaped from his crib on 4/17... actually I should say he fell out of his crib - not sure how intentional it was. I was getting their breakfast ready and watching him on the monitor, but obviously missed the ~5 seconds it took him to get up and over the edge and fall out. Heard this big thud noise and dropped what I was doing and ran in there immediately. When I got in there he was picking himself up off the floor but hadn't even started crying yet cuz I think he got the wind knocked out of him or was in shock. Needless to say there was lots of crying..... but he was all right, other than a bruise under his chin where he must have hit one of the sides on his way out. So we invested in a very nice gate for their bedroom doorway (to at least keep him contained in the room), tho he hasn't repeated this action since. I think it will just be a matter of time before we drop the side of his crib to make it into a toddler bed - I personally, am just not ready to deal with the "Stay in bed" fiasco...... so just biding my time until I am forced into that. Other than that, Oscar is our little fish in the bathtub. LOVES being in there and just splashes to his heart's content and makes a complete mess - but he has so much fun doing it. He also LOVES slides and cannot get enough of them.... at ECFE we've been going outside (if weather is nice) to play on the outside equipment and he B-lines it right to the slide EVERY time. The only thing is that he constantly over estimates the room he has to either turn around or sit down when getting to the edge of the slide..... we always have to grab him and sit him down cuz it looks like he's going to do a nose dive and go head first. I don't think it is his intention, just hasn't learned how to get himself positioned BEFORE getting to the edge of the slide - so we'll have to work on that with him. Plan to visit many of the area parks up here this spring/summer to get them out of the house. Oscar has been quite the imp lately, climbing over the edge of chairs/couches to get back to "Angus's corner" (where his water and food are - that we have blocked off with gates and furniture) .... he repeatedly goes back there after being fished out and disciplined, and the minute you look away for a second he is right back at it, KNOWING he is going to get in trouble. UNNGHH :) He also loves to throw things. We're working on showing him what things he can and cannot throw cuz he really has an arm on him and has whipped a few hard things at all of us (Angus included - poor dog). But it is hilarious cuz he put the ball over his head, and then walks toward you, getting within inches of you and then just zings it at you as hard as he can. So we have been trying to show him he doesn't have to get so close..... and the other day worked on catching with him too. He LOVED playing catch with Daddy (with Mommy helping him to do the catching)..... and actually got pretty good at it. We also did this with MacKay (who was watching us do this, patiently waiting his turn)... and MacKay did the cutest things with his outstretched hands when waiting to catch the ball..... he would open and close his fists, alternating between hands, almost as if to say "OK I'm READY... gimme gimme gimme".

Well..... that is about it for now. Onto the pictures... which I am sorry to report, there aren't many of. Will try to do better next time at both getting on here more frequently (it's hard to remember everything that has gone on since the last post when multiple weeks have gone by) and at snapping some more pictures to share.

Oscar and MacKay self spoon feeding themselves some pudding. Not doing too badly at it either.

The boys eating a Culver's Butter Burger with Cheese for lunch one day..... check out MacKay's face, trying to open his mouth as wide as he can and just really tearing into that burger.

The boys outside on a nice day helping Dad lay some grass seed.

Miscellaneous pictures: Oscar doing his best impression of mommy with her little Evie belly. More hugs - I love these moments. Lastly, the boys standing at our porch door laughing at Gma Chris on the other side.

Had to include this picture, not cuz it is a great picture of them.....but cuz MacKay and Oscar LOVED riding around in this cart at Cub. It's shaped like a Rocket Ship .... they had a blast in this, and I loved being able to use this vs their stroller as there was WAY more room for all the groceries I needed to pick up while Chris was in NY.

Lastly - some recent purchases. First, something I just HAD to buy when we were at the casino this last weekend. Saw this in a shoppe there and knew I HAD to get it for Evie. I like that it's a bit more on the sassy side with the zebra print ..... it's true, girls are fun to buy for :) And the other picture is of the boys' snazzy new Keen sandals from Gma Chris.

See ya next time around..... take care.