So sorry everyone. It has been FAR too long since my last post.... things have just been REALLY chaotic with the kids and with the things going on with the house. To bring everyone up to speed though.... Evie is now 3+ months old and the boys celebrated their 2nd birthday at the end of October... and for the most part we're staying pretty healthy.
The house.... well, to date: Outside: all siding and trim is up, roof is on, new garage is finished and the old driveway has been ripped up and now we have a class 5 driveway until next spring when it can be finished. Mudroom: walls are painted, tile is down, trim is finished, washer/dryer are installed and working (tho sticking out too far from the wall... hopefully something we can fix) and the slop sink is installed and ready to use. Master Bedroom/Suite: bathroom is painted, floor is tiled, shower is ALMOST done (waiting for a few more pieces of tile), sink/vanity is in .... so that is almost done. The bedroom, painted basically. Just need to get other things done and we can have the carpet installed and hopefully move our stuff in soon. And as if that isn't enough, starting this weekend (while I take the kids to my mom's for 1+ week) our living room is going to get an update.... removing the panelling and putting up sheet rock (and painting), wood ceiling, putting in can lights on the ceiling (this room gets no natural light), putting in a gas fireplace with wood surround (big entertainment system to hold 55" TV we recently bought for it too)..... and all the other small stuff that goes along with all that. This has been a nightmare.... tho totally needed for the space we need. We are SOOOO looking forward to this being over and not living in a complete chaotic mess like we do now. Can't wait for y'all to see it.
The boys.... well like I said we celebrated their 2nd birthday. We got them a Thomas the Train themed cake as they are completely OBSESSED with Thomas these days. They had fun opening gifts and really "got" the whole thing a bit more this time around. Still made quite a mess of themselves with the cake (MacKay's cheek was stained blue from the icing for a couple days)... but they really gobbled it up. I cannot remember all the things we've done in the past month or more... but I can say these guys are little talking parrots lately. The mimic just about EVERY word we say (no swears yet) and catch on so quickly to things, sayings, words etc. We can actually have real conversations with them and understand them now. It is SO much fun. They LOVE being read to now too (something they didn't have the interest or patience for before). They point items out in the books that they know and find amusement in being so smart :) They took their first visit to the dentist a week or so ago and did somewhat well. Oscar was more than willing to open his mouth and let them peek in..... MacKay (as expected) wanted NOTHING to do with the whole situation and was on the verge of crying the entire time, so we didn't push. They also had their 2 yr check at the doctors..... amazingly enough their weights are still less than a pound different. We've always thought Oscar seemed "beefier" or more solid.... and were totally expecting that he finally had surpassed MacKay by a few pounds now.... but nope. They are right in the 60-75% range for height and weight too. They got 4... yes 4... shots at this last visit which was horrible. They now are at the age where they "get" what is going on and fight it. It was miserable to watch them go through it this time... but I am so thankful that my niece Kelly was able to come to the appt with me (Chris couldn't get away from work) as she did a GREAT job helping to hold down and console the boys during the ordeal.
Some individual things about the boys that are just really amusing or enjoyable lately..... Oscar is completely consumed by the color green now. He's always preferred green toys and things.... but it has gone to a completely different level now. When I dress him in the morning he will throw a complete fit if I don't put a green shirt on him, or at least the one he wants. I even tried to put an undershirt (long sleeved under a polo) on him and he FREAKED out cuz he thought I was trying to pull a fast one on him after he had made it SO clear he wanted his GREEN polo :) It's a struggle most days, but I have to step back from it and laugh cuz it is sorta cute and funny too. MacKay has become a "blankie" boy. Not sure if this is cuz of the new addition to our house (Evie) and he is reverting..... or if it is related to Elmo. For a while there we couldn't have the TV on if we weren't watching Elmo in Grouchland - a show about Elmo on a quest to get his blanket back from someone who stole it from him. I am more apt to say it is the latter of the two (Elmo).... he won't leave the bedroom without it every morning, and whenever he needs consoling he grabs his blanket and rubs the smooth satin edges against his upper lip. It's super cute... but I really am bummed that we ALMOST avoided the whole "blanket attachment". Darn that Elmo..... :) MacKay also is a FANTASTIC hugger. He gives the best hugs, especially at bedtime. Oscar is more the kisser of the two... very European too.. he likes to kiss your lips and then your cheek. Almost like the classic "Auf Weiderzain" that Heidi Klum gives on Project Runway followed by a peck on both cheeks :)
Onto Evie. She is growing a TON. Getting the big chubby cheeks and legs. I love it. She has gotten very good at tummy time and props herself way up on her elbows and really gets up there. She is grasping items too... she actually will grab them right out of your hands and has some pretty good coordination already. She is an endless supply of smiles and giggles too. Such a fun stage. Still sleeping through the night so soundly (we started swaddling again as a way to help her self soothe in the early morning), and is drinking 5 six ounce bottles daily. Gets up at around 7:30/8am each morning... and usually to bed by 9:30/10pm. Can't complain there. She fights gas pretty badly though - which I know is typical for this age, just so hard to see her struggle with it every night. Poor little thing took her first trip to the ER while Chris and I were down in Mankato at a friend's wedding. Gma Chris was watching the kiddos and saw multiple concerning signs throughout the day and brought her in. She had some pretty tough tests run (blood work and a quick cath.... unnnnngghhh those are horrible) but she made it through and it must have just been a little bug that hit her quickly and then was over just as quickly.
Well..... SO many pictures to share. BTW, we're planning on condensing Evie's birth announcement and our holiday greeting cards together.... so if you have a new address you don't think we know about, please send it onto me via email or leave a comment here. You can also find me on Facebook as well.
The boys with one of their new favorite birthday toys... their light sabres (from Uncle Dennis). We had gone to the Vagts' to watch a FB game one night and the boys wouldn't let go of the Vagts' boys' light sabres... so we told Uncle Dennis to get them some of their own for their birthday. They love these... and of course, Oscar has the green one. :)
A cute picture of MacKay lying on his tummy watching Thomas videos.... and of MacKay with Evie on her play mat. They both love rolling around under there with her.
Love this picture I got with Oscar and Evie. It is definitely too much for me to expect that I can get a good picture of all three of them together, but I CAN get a few cute ones with just a couple of them. Also a picture of one of the 2 crazy Thomas tracks the boys have. We set them up and they don't last long before getting torn apart (whether intentional or not).... but this is one from Gma Chris that we set up at her house for them.
Just a few cute pictures of Evie.... propped up on the couch, smiling in her swing...... and looking so angelic while sleeping (gosh I hate nuks though) :)
I always have to include the food pictures with the boys. They LOOOOOVE pizza. If you mention we're having pizza for dinner they run around saying "Pizza Pizza Pizza Pizza" until they sit down to eat. They actually sound a lot like the Little Caesar's pizza guy from the commercials back in the 80s (am I dating myself here?). MacKay has a way of smearing everything he eats across his entire face. And just another picture eating at Gma Chris's - ring bologna, raw fries and baked beans..... yum. They really are getting good at forks and spoons now and need very little assistance.
Evie's smiles are something that make my heart melt. I can be in the worst mood, so run down from the boys, no energy... and I see this and can't help but just giggle and let everything else go.
Bath time.... the boys enjoying a bath in Gma Chris's huge jacuzzi tub, and Evie enjoying her first "real" bath (in water vs sponge bath).
Is this not one of the cutest pictures I've captured of the boys? I should print out a huge one of this and every time they hit, bite or push each other show them that they DO love each other :)
Play mat time for Evie.... when she gets a little irritable, her play mat always does the trick. Whether lying on her back playing with the things dangling down.... or propped up on her elbows staring up at the huge world around her.
Lastly... the boys' 2nd birthday. First off a picture of the cake, which really turned out nice. The boys with two of their biggest fans (their cousins Kelly and Brandon). And then just a ton of pictures of them cramming cake in their face. (Note: remember, the blue icing on MacKay's face actually stained....) :)
Well, hopefully I can get on here again before Xmas. We have a lot going on in the next month.... I am taking the kiddos to my mom's for 1+ week (during Tgiving week) while our living room gets overhauled, finishing up the rest of the addition, we have a photo shoot scheduled with a local photographer up here for the boys' 2 yr and Evie's 3 month pictures --- hoping to get some good ones for the Xmas card. But I will try my best to keep taking pictures and getting updates out here. To you and your families.... have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
