Holy Big Boy

A little behind on my post but better late than never is my modo lately. Aiden had his 4month well visit last Wed. and the boy is a whopping 18.6 lbs, and 27 inches long. For some comparison for those of you who need one Keaton was 15 lbs and Ryan 15 lbs and both older boys were 26 and some change at 4 months. Aiden is one big, healthy boy.

Here's some of the things he's up to right now:
He can hold his head up on his own (not so much a bobble head)
Starting to hold himself up better in a sitting position and can do so by himself for several minutes
Grunting, Groaning,Cooing, giggling, and smiling like crazy
Completely aware of his hands and feet and usually has at least one fist in his mouth at all times
Teething and drooling like crazy... one bottom tooth will be here soon as mommy can see some white now
Grasping Objects with his hands (especially my hair), loves chewing on and manipulating toys, especially one that make music and noise
Swatting at objects intentionally and loves to play in his exersaucer and make the toys move
Blowing raspberries and bubbles
Smiling and Laughing , very ticklish
He can lift up off his chest and fully extended his arms and roll from tummy to back really well and getting better at back to tummy
Sleeping 8 to 10 hours straight a night...for some reason recently we are having trouble napping but mommy is working on this
Hates the car seat and will be moving to the big Britax Convertible soon as he's about out of the carrier already
Loves to be kissed on his big fat cheeks
Loves his swing and has discovered his feet while swinging so trying to eat them I believe
Spits up less and less thank god!!
Wearing 6-12 months pants and 6-12month tops
Has started eating baby rice cereal for dinner and doing really well

Overall Aiden is doing GREAT and is a blessing. He is the happiest baby and everyone who meets him can't believe how happy the little guy is which warms my heart and reminds me of how lucky I really am.

Now it's daddy vs.2 boys on his own!!

Just spoke to Ben this morning and they had a great night sleep, NO BEARS made an appearance at there campsite so this mommy can breath a sigh of relief. They were eating breakfast and Keaton once again throwing the forest onto the fire!!! Nothing has changed since I left I guess!! What fun for them, their first real camping trip with daddy in the Rocky Mountains, they survived the night but will daddy survive the morning and afternoon with the two of them. That is more of a test of Man vs. Wild if you ask me!!

Man and 2 boys vs. Wild

I think I've lost my mind or I'm turning into my grandmother or something. Today was the big camping trip in the mountains that the boys have been SOOOOO excited about. We got up early this morning. Put all the last minute things in the car. Strapped the kids in their seats and headed out for the great mountains of Colorado to do "Man vs. Wild" as Keaton stated. We spent the day at Manitou Lake where where grilled lunch, fished, chased chipmunks,hiked and relaxed. It was a great day really, even with 3 kids and one being only 4months and in my arms the entire time. By 4pm we headed to the campsite where Ben set up the tent, and camp. We grilled dinner, the boys collected everything they could find for the fire and proceeded to have the campfire like a inferno until we had to put a stop to the massive amounts of pine needles and sticks they were throwing in there. We sat around the fire,relaxed and had marshmallows as the sun went down. I sadly then packed up Aiden and I as it was time for us to head back home for the night. Sadly our tent wasn't going to fit 5 and Aiden really did need to get home to his crib as the poor kid hadn't slept the entire day. Just as I was getting ready to go the campers next to us came over to share that the ranger had been there earlier in the day warning them to put everything food wise in the car as there has been some bears in the area. This of course made me freak out...BEARS!!! I had to keep my fears to myself as not to scare the kids. I didn't want to leave them of course as I never do but here I am at home and missing them all like crazy. When there here I feel like I need a break but when their gone it just to quiet, plus I worry like crazy about them being out there in the WILDERNESS WITH BEARS! They are the loves of my life and i just cant wait till their all back here with me and Aiden and most of all not where the bears are!! I guess I'll go to sleep now so I dont think about it and have my stomach in knots like I do now.

Already 4 months old and he's one happy guy!!

I am long overdue for share some pictures of Aiden. He is growing and changing so quickly and I cant believe he is 4 months old today. He is such a happy go lucky baby and we are blessed that he has such a great temperament. Out of the 3 boys he is the most laid back yet. His smile lights up a room and anyone around cant help but smile too.

He is grasping toys and loves chewing on anything he can get his grip on and get to his little mouth. Looking in the mirror is super fun right now and sticking his little tongue out has been a hit for a few weeks now. He is gradually getting use to sitting in his exersaucer and likes it even more now that he has figured out how to swivel around, and that he can make things move and yes, chew on stuff. I guess if you haven't figured it out yet he is teething up a storm. One day last week he just started gnawing on his little hand and drooling up a storm and it's only gotten worse since. Overall he has taken teething in stride however today he is fighting taking a nap, and keeps pulling off when he's feeding so I think his teeth are really bothering him. We are blessed that Aiden has been a great sleeper since about 8weeks. He began sleeping from 9am till 5am and that has remained pretty much his normal. Some nights recently he goes down earlier and some morning sleeps in later but I have NOTHING to complain out in the sleep department at night. Thank you Aiden baby!!

Overall I am a blessed mommy with 3 healthy, beautiful boys. I am taking the time lately to enjoy and document my days and their growth as it's going by so quickly. Aiden is wearing 9month to 12month clothes, he can sit up by him self for short periods of time already and he will be starting solids before I know it. My heart gets heavy knowing he is my last baby, don't get me wrong it's good we are done but these times with such a wonderful,sweet blessing like Aiden are so special and they just go by to quickly. I wish I could bottle up all of it so I never could forget a thing.

Just to clear up a few things!

OK, Just a quick explanation about my rant and rave post so no one think I am going off the deep end. I was just blowing off some steam about some people I've come across lately who are not being real, I know they are full of SH** as I talk to them but they keep feeding me and others what they think we will find impressive. I really felt good after expressing my be real rant and that was that. Not mad at anyone per say, just annoyed!! Don't worry for those good friends, I am not close to these few people so please don't think it was directed at any of you.

Settled in

Well it's been 14 weeks (I think, I keep losing track) since Aiden was born and the first few weeks to be very honest were HELL with my spinal leak, but I can say that things are going GREAT now. I think we are settled in and I am finally use to having 3 kids to watch over, take care of, clean up after and ect.... I have to admit at times it's just NOT easy and I don't know how moms of more than three do it as I know how much work 3 kids that are 5,3 and 3 months is and it's exhausting. It may be a lot of work but I've decided It's pretty darn crazy but amazing. All my kids are healthy so I have not one things to complain about. Aiden is the easiest kid of the three and he's just such a great kid. He is smiley and just giggles all the time. Ryan is funny and curious. He does funny things all day long and has a HUGE imagination. Keaton is fiery and independent, oh and TO SMART FOR HIS OWN GOOD!! The older boys love one another and are great friends but cause lots of ruckus around the house, chasing one another, wrestling, egging one another on and of course getting on each others nerves to the point that someone cries or is screaming. Oh there is NEVER a DULL moment around here and I don't expect that it will get any calmer when Aiden get in the mix but at least I now feel like I can handle things. We have a routine, I am not freaked out about taking 3 kids to a restaurant, or grocery shopping and I just have found a way to enjoy the chaos that is my life. So if you see me or talk to me and I seem frazzled, well I probably am at that moment as I have alot of those moments to be honest but know that all in all we are good and I wouldn't change a thing.

Peace!

Hmmm.... I don't know what to do with myself right now. Why do you ask? Well for the simple fact it's peaceful and there's not a sound other than the AC running. Now how can that be? Well I owe it all to my wonderful sister in law Jen who just picked my 2 older boys up to go to Barnes and Nobles for a little outing. Personally I think she may have lost her mind and if not before she probably will have after with my two boys. It sure was nice of her to do this for me and I will have to think of something nice to pay her back as she deserves it. Baby Aiden is napping and I've put away laundry and as I was picking up the basement I couldn't help but just sit in the chair for a second and take in the silence. I love the boys but they are BUSY bodies,and loud. To have such peace is amazing but secretly I miss them (just a little bit).

Enough bull**** be real please !

OK, I have to get this off my chest some people just drive me CRAZY!! There I said it, I do get annoyed and lately it's at people who try and make it seem like they have no problems in life, their kids are perfect all the time, their house is never messy and they always have time for themselves, so hence they have time to shop for home, self and not to mention haircuts, manicures,pedicures, spa dates ect.... and on and on. Be real people parenting is hard work and it's OK to admit it. I'm admitting it right now, I feel like I never have enough time in the day to do a darn thing, my house feels forever messy no matter how much I work at it, I have kids who work against me!!! I know you will all be so surprised but my kids can be BRATTY and drive me CRAZY on most days. As for time for myself what is that. I try and carve some out but that's easier said than done. Maybe I am being grumpy, but I am a mom of 3 with a new baby so spare me your perfect parenting and wife garble. Maybe you are but I am in NO mood to hear it right now. OK, I got it out!!

Walkin once again

Well it's hard to find anytime for me lately but I am making the effort to go walking after dinner with my neighbor and I think it's a much needed stress reliever not to mention it will help melt off the baby weight I am still trying to shed. I gained 32 lbs this past pregnancy and I've now lost 30lbs of it but to be honest I needed to lose some before i even got pregnant so walking I will go. I've also started my exercise video so well see what happens. Now that I am done having babies I can get myself into the best shape of my life right!! Easy to say now I have to do the hard work to make it happen. I'll keep you posted on my progress!!

The boys are Campin!!

So have to do a quick post since my heart is just so full right now it could explode so might as well let it explode into words right!! Right now my 2 oldest and my wonderful husband are laying in their tent in the back yard talking about the favorite part of their day, yes you read that right in our backyard in a tent. For sometime Ben has said he couldn't wait to take the kids camping and 2 of the 3 are finally at an age where that's possible. Before he headed to the great mountains with 2 boys and a tent he wanted to try it out first and what better place than our BACKYARD!! He went out earlier today and got some new sleeping bags, a new fire pit/charcoal grill and stuff for smores and he and the boys were so excited about it getting dark and camping out. Of course around 6ish a terrible storm with crazy rain and wind blew in and tried to detour the whole plan but the boys are lucky enough to have a daddy who was a boy scout and a little rain wasn't changing his plans. Luckily the rain passed and the night continued on with out a hitch. Ben was doing this with or without the rain so thankfully it was without the rain as the night was fantastic. The boys set up the tent with dad, started the fire, roasted mellows and made smores. They had fun walking around the backyard with flashlights and looked for bugs and making shadows. It's now almost 10:30 pm and I just left them all tucked in their bags in the tent talking about the favorite part of their day, like they do each night before bed. I truly am blessed to have such a wonderful family that gets to do such fun stuff. I hope that these times and memories will be treasured by the boys as they truly are treasured my me. Like I said my heart is so full of love right now for ALL my BOYS. Oh, by the way I am truly the queen as I was told I was not allowed in the tent but I could sleep in my house in my cozy bed cuz I am a GIRL!! Boy, oh Boy!!

All giggles

Aiden is not yet 3months but looks like a 6 to 9month old. He's just one big guy. He's growing up so quick and I just wish he would slow down just a bit for ole mom as it's just all going by so fast lately and mommy just wants her baby to stay a baby for as long as possible. Yes, I know he's not even 12 weeks yet but time just seems to be flying by and since this is my LAST baby I am trying to treasure each and every moment. Aiden has been smiling since 7weeks or so and I got a giggle once or twice but just recently we are all smiles and giggles and that laugh is just adorable. I will try and catch it on video to share and melt some more hearts. For now here's a pic of him laughing and smiling. He's such a sweetheart!

So in love!!

Sometimes in life we get so busy we forget to stop and be thankful for all the little things and even sometimes the big stuff. Recently life has been that busy for us but over the last few days I have just been so overcome with how lucky I truly am. I am the wife of a wonderful husband and a Mommy to 3 amazing, beautiful little boys.
Keaton has grown so much over the last 5 years, it's almost more than my mind can wrap around. He is a little man now, independent, head strong and so VERY smart. I will never forget how small and helpless he was when they laid him on my chest the minutes after he was born. I was so scared of what was to come, how would we love, and care for this amazing little boy. He was OURS but neither of us new the amazing journey we would be taking from the moment of his birth. Keaton was the start of our amazing life and family and he was our test case I guess you could say. I was so worried and determined not to damage or screw him up in anyway. I think Ben and I have done a pretty good job so far as here we are 51/2years later and he is just AMAZING what he has become.
I always new I wanted at least 2 children and when we found out Ryan was growing inside me I was over the moon. If he was anything like his brother I knew we were going to be blessed. What I didn't know was that I am grateful that he is like his brother in many ways but even more blessed that he is just RYAN BENJAMIN a wonderful little boy all his own. Ryan came out into the world with a cry and a deposition that has become just him, it's still much the same as when he was a baby. He is laid back, observant, serious, very loving, yet stubborn and just all boy. He has become my boys, boy in that he LOVES to get dirty, he LOVES puddles and mud and has been known to paint himself with chalk, mud, paint, ect..... Ryan has done something that I thought would be hard to do in the shadow of his big brother and that it Shine BRIGHTLY and make our hearts burst with pride and love every moment.
A mother worries always but of course I was so worried how I would find the ability to love a third child,when I found I was pregnant with our third and beloved son. How would I survive being a mom of three active little boys, where would the love and patience come from for another child? Well I should have never worried because the moment Aiden began his journey out into this world I was in love. The long labor and the end result of Aiden Alexander on my chest so purple and not crying and labored breathing scared me to death and I never knew I could be so in love and need something so much. When I heard him finally crying and saw his beautiful skin turn pink I knew there was no turning back. God gave me my angle and he is our beautiful Aiden. Aiden may only be 11 weeks but he is forever ours. My heart is more full now than it's ever been, I couldn't imagine a day without our sweet Aiden, he is a wonderful baby. He has such a wonderful deposition, in that he is so laid back, and even tempered. As long as he's feed, dry and getting some naps and snuggle time he is a happy guy. I just can wait to see how he grows and changes over the next few months and years. If he's anything like his brothers I will be truly bless.
So even when my house is crazy and kids screaming and my head spinning because the boys are driving me out of my mind I have to stop myself and remember that these times with my boys are special. On the other hand I have to take each wonderful moment that I get to watch my sons grow and learn something new, grownEveryday is a memory and a day in their amazing little life that is making them who they will be when they grow up one day and go out into the big crazy world. Time goes fast that one day can never be redone, so enjoy it for whatever it shall bring.
In short being a mom of three boys and amazing husband is not always easy but one thing that it is always is a journey and a blessing. Most of all I wouldn't change one single thing, my life is all I could ever hope for an more. I am truly blessed and SO IN LOVE with all my boys!!!

Keaton's first loose tooth!!

So tonight was a big day with T-ball and Circus and to top it off Keaton shared with us that he has a loose tooth. We were brushing teeth tonight and I told him I was giving his teeth a good going over after all that Cotton candy and he said "sure mom you can brush my teeth too but please careful of my front lower tooth as it's sore. " I of course asked why it was sore and he let me feel it and sure enough it's LOOSE!!! I of course got a bit emotional as my first born baby is no longer a baby as he's beginning to lose his baby teeth now. Time is just flying by and I can do nothing to stop it and it makes me sad. Keaton was so happy and said"I'm so excited because now I will put my tooth when it falls out under my pillow and he will leave me a quarter!!!" It was just precious seeing such innocence and joy on his face talking about the tooth fairy. Ben was just thankful he only expects a quarter!!! Ha, Ha!!
I think it's funny it's lose right before we go to the dentist on Tues. Now I just pray the rest of his teeth DON'T have cavities!! Ill have to post and let you know when it finally falls out and post a pic. he will look so different missing a tooth. Oh, I love you Keat slow down for mommy will ya!!!

Circus, Circus

Ben has been loading us up with things to do this summer and one of those things was he got us Circus tickets. Now to some this would not be a surprise but if you know Ben like I do it is not normal, I haven't been able to get Ben to go to the State fair for the entire time that I have known him and any other year I have mentioned the Circus he claimed he didn't hear me or would ignore the idea so I am VERY happy he did it all on his own and he was actually excited to go with the boys and oh yes, he did have a GREAT time with us all!! Our summer has started out with so many fun activities thus far, we sure our lucky!!

Keaton and Ryan were over the moon all Friday and Sat. morning. The boys had T-Ball games all Sat. morning so after all the nutty, chaotic, funny mess of T-ball we headed for the 3:30pm show and it was alot of fun. Keaton and Ryan sat with a huge smile on their faces and it was priceless. They only got dad to buy a $12 bag of cotton candy (which he is pretty bitter about) and didn't ask for anything else thankfully. Not that Ben or I would have gotten it if they did anyway. The toys and ect.... started at $18!! Yay, right.... NOT THANK YOU!! I was proud of little Aiden as he snuggled with me so well and watched the show and then ate off and on. I would have never attempted to go to the circus with a 10week old previously but I guess when it come to the third you just get over it and life has to continue on and you make sure it does with lots of fun.

Oh and just a cute funny while at the circus. In front of our seats was another couple with a girl baby about 4 months and Keaton says to me and her mommy. "She is cute mommy, maybe Aiden can date her when he gets older!!!" What????? To funny, that my 5 year old is thinking about setting his younger brother up already. Hmmmm, I think I am in trouble!!
Over all a great day!!!

My little Ryan turned 3!!

Lately time is flying by and I am in awe at how fast my boys are growing and changing!! This past weekend we celebrated Ryan's 3rd birthday with a dinosaur party and we had a blast. As many know Ryan is really into dinosaurs so all he wanted for his birthday was a dino party and I was glad to grant this birthday wish. We had the bouncy house up, games with water balloons, squirt guns, frosting of dino sugar cookies and ect.... we ate burgers,dogs and watermelon and just had a good ole time. Ryan was over the moon with all his favorite people and dinos everywhere. I of course had a great time too but I get a little sentimental knowing that my sweet little boy is growing sooo fast. I guess I could still have some hormonal stuff going on but thinking about my boys growing up makes me sad. Ryan is growing into such a cute little man and Ben and I just adore him so much. He can now count to 7 (verbally and on his little fingers), he knows his sounds to his letters,his colors and is fully potty trained and wearing only big boy undies. He will start preschool this fall and i probably will need a box of tissue as I leave. Thankfully Keaton will have me broken in first with starting Kindergarten.

9 weeks ..... Where has time gone??

Time has just been flying by and little Aiden is already 9weeks old. We have finally stayed out of the hospital for several weeks now so we are thrilled and have been able to get back in the swing of things if that's really possible with a new little one who runs the show!! We had a recent trip to the Dr. and the little man is growing big and fast. He's already 13.6lbs and 25inches long with a size 16.5in head!! HE got 5 shots which of course was NOOOOO fun, but he took it like a champ as long as he got his beloved boobie right after!!!
Needless to say he is growing ahead of the curve and we couldn't be more happy that he is healthy and doing well. As you can see by the stats he LOVES to eat and that's what he would do ALL day if I let him, but the Dr. said it was normal and feed on demand still so the breastfeeding madness,marathon continues but luckily he is slowing down a little bit!!!
As for sleep we are getting a little here and there and he has thrown us a life line the last few nights of sleeping 3 1/2hrs then feeding 3 hours and then up every hour till 6. Need to work on the last part of the night, however we are grateful for the consecutive hrs of sleep as it's much improvement from the up every hour he was doing for days on end.
One of the most special moments came at about 7weeks and that's when Aiden graced us with his most precious smile. He is such a sweet, smiley baby. He is now smiley and chatted as at 8weeks he started cooing and trying to communicate and it's heart melting. When we were at the Dr. office she couldn't believe how smiley and chatty he was. He was such a flirt with the Dr. even I was taken aback. I think he was trying to charm her into not giving him shots!! To bad it didn't work!!! Aiden's big brothers are still in love with him. They Ohhh and Ahhh over him and are always looking out for poopie diapers and if he's awake. My favorite is that they announce " ohhh, his eyes are open!! Yea!" Things are finally going pretty well and we are excited that the summer is finally here (at least I think it is if it ever stops raining so we can get outside!!).

Overall things are going well and Aiden is a wonderful addition to our family and I am so in love with the little guy. I truly am blessed!!

My boys

Ok, so not much time to blog anymore but going to try and keep a ongoing kid update regularly if possible. I dont want to forget all the wonderful things that are going on right now but so LITTLE time lately.

Keaton:
School: School is out as he graduated from Holy Apostle's Preschool on Tues. (will post pics soon). He did so well and really enjoyed the last 2 years there and we are sad to say goodbye to such wonderful teachers and friends. He will begin Kindergarten in Aug. at Banning Lewis Ranch Academy. He is growing soooo fast.

Keaton played soccer on the YMCA team this spring and LOVED it. It was such a great experience for him and I watched him mature so much over the 6 weeks he practiced and played. I look forward to the fall when he can play on the Fall soccer team. He will start T-ball on June 2nd along with Ryan and it should be just as much fun. I cant wait to see the first practice and game, it should be pretty fun to watch!!! Keaton is really into riding his scooter and bike, I only wish we didn't have a sloped drive as it's a pain.

Ryan:
School: Ryan will begin preschool at Holy Apostle's Preschool in Sept. and is so ready. He wanted to stay with Keaton each time we dropped him off so I just hope he will want to stay when he actually has to.

Ryan is going to start T-Ball on June 2nd and this is his first organized sport so this should be VERY interesting to say the least. He and Keat will be on diff. teams so Ben and I will be going in all directions for the next 6 weeks. Ryan is into learning his alphabet,colors and numbers. He really has his colors down and numbers to seven, we are actively working on letters and he's doing pretty well.

Potty train AGAIN after regressing with Aiden's arrival is going pretty well. I just recently put him in underwear and only allow pull ups at night for bed. He is doing great and I'm thankful there has been only a few accidents. Go Ryan!!

Baby Aiden:
My sweet prince is growing fast and is such a little sweety. He is 10lbs 10oz, 23inches long, he is cooing and smiling like crazy and melting my heart. He has even rolled over from tummy to back (5/20/09). His eyes are still blue so crossing my fingers that he will get my eye color. Just one child with my eyes would be nice. Ben's and boys are beautiful in all but I'd like one blue eyed child!!! Aiden is doing well now after a bacteria infection scare at 5weeks which kept us in the hospital for several day. Thankfully he is doing great now and is growing like a weed. He is a eating machine. He would be at the boob all day if he could but he thankfully his tummy only holds so much so he shows a tad bit of mercy and lets me free. I am cherishing this time as he really is growing way to fast.

Sleep.... What is sleep?

OK, we are settling in and adjustment is going pretty well now that I have gotten rid of the awful migraines from the spinal leak. I have a headache here and there but they are improving so not going to complain to much. The one thing that I am having the hardest adjusting to is NO SLEEP!!! I will give the guy a little credit there's been a night or two that he has done remarkably well sleeping but the last few nights have been rough and I am dragging beyond belief to make it thru the day. He was up almost every hour the last few nights or he would just be awake and want to hang out!!! It's 2am, he's cute and all but I AM TIRED!!!! Last night was awful in that all he wanted to do was Eat, Eat, EAT and EAT SO MORE. My boobs felt like they were going to fall off and my wonderful husband even went and got a bottle and fed him and still was up an hour later wanting more. My sweet son has to be going thru a growth spurt or something as he is a eating machine. Needless to say I was up all night with him and now as I write this he is peacefully sleeping in his swing. I sure wish I had a swing that I could climb in and rock away to dream land. It's funny how one forgets certain things about the birth and the first few months with a newborn, you'd think I would have a clue seeming this is my third child and all but I guess I was blissfully remembering all the warm and fuzzy not the painful and frustrating!!! OK, I've complained enough and have to make sure that I stress I would change things for a minute. I know it will get better but this blog is my outlet and a way for me to look back later to reflect and later when I want another child I will need to revisit this post and remind myself....... WE ARE DONE!!!

Welcome Aiden Alexander Kley

Not a lot of time to write but wanted to do a quick post that we finally have been blessed with our miracle Aiden Alexander on March 29th at 6:25am. He is a nice 8lbs 6oz and 21inches long with a perfectly round head of light redish blonde hair. He is a blessing and I cant stop staring at him and taking in that he is reallly mine. This labor was the longest and hardest of them all but the end result was well worth the long night of labor that I endured. Aiden rounds out our family and mommy now has her 3 sons. I now am looking forward to all the fun we will have as they grow older and become best buds. God is truly amazing is all I can say.

New Pics are posted

I finally got to uploading pics from before Christmas and up to Keaton's Birthday. I still haven't downloaded pics from his party but working on it!!

What color are you mommy?

OK, so yesterday was St. Patrick's day and boy did we have a fun filled day of all things green. First off Ben is part Irish and to help the boy's understand some of their heritage we talked about St. Patrick's Day and where Ireland is and ect.... now one cant go to deep with a 5year old and 2 year old but on the way to preschool Keaton was verifying that he is Irish and Ryan is Irish, and Daddy is Irish, then he got to me. "Mommy are you Irish?????" my response," No , honey I am not.". Keaton, " Well then what color are you mommy, we are all Irish green, what is your color if your not Irish?" I almost peed my pants the way he asked me this question. It was so Innocent and cute. I tried to explain my heritage and this was going no where as he just isn't ready so I just laughed and told him I would have to find out what color I was and get back to him on that!!!!

I am really loving days like yesterday. Despite being huge and uncomfortable I am still trying to do as much fun stuff with the boys as possible and yesterday was one of those day that I just love. We made cupcakes with green frosting,sprinkles and mini-chocolate chips, gold coin wafers. The boys are so much fun to cook with now, Ryan actually participates and is helpful and Keaton is going to be a chef one day as he's so good in the kitchen. I hope days like these build wonderful memories as they grow up.

We had a great St. Patty's Day with family over, I cooked a big thing of corn beef and cabbage and all the fixing's. Others drank some good beer, the kids played outside (thank god for the nice weather), darts and Wii battles were had and a good time was had by all. I am looking forward to next year when I can actually drink some green beer and work in the kitchen with out fighting thru on and off contractions. I'm already looking forward to our 3rd annual St. Patty's Day!!

Keaton the champ!!

Just a quick note on my super big boy Keaty!!!! Keaton had his 5year well visit on Thursday which would be no big deal except for he had to get 4shots which is a very BIG deal to a 5 year old. Keaton did great on the extensive check up this time around. I was impressed how throuh they were on this exam. They really made sure he has reached all milestones and then some. He easily recited his address, knew all the answers to all the other questions she threw at him and passed his first eye exam, but getting all four shots in the legs was the most impressive of all. He laid there not so thrilled and looking pretty scared and unhappy but didn't say much, he groaned and said ouch but other than that NOTHING!! I thought for sure we may have a breakdown but he held up and was a champ.

Side Note, Keaton's legs were sore all that night and boy did he let us know about that. "Ouch, OUCH!!!" Is what we heard ALL NIGHT LONG!! Normally I would let him run after the shots to help with soreness but it was way to cold so we had to deal with the "OUCH" all night. Even with Tylenol he still said they hurt and walked kind of funny. Good thing is all shots are done for awhile for him. He is officially ready for kindergarten!!!

What a week!

OK, so when it rains it pours right? Well I have to agree with that saying as of late. Last week was just one of those weeks which you wonder what and where is everything going so wrong. On Monday evening we noticed Ryan had a red blotch on his left arm as we were getting into the pool but thought it was just a bug bite or something, well we were sadly mistaken as the next morning he had more blotches on his tummy which I immediately could tell that these were HIVES! Ugh, again, we just went through this in Nov. with him. I gave him some Benedryl and thought we'd see improvement but not this time around. THEY GOT WORSE!!! By Wed. morning the poor kid woke up with swollen eyes and blotches covering every part of his body. I of course was mortified and worried. I called the Dr. right away and they said keep the Benedryl coming every 6hrs and I should see some improvement. Well I didn't, Benedryl DIDN'T WORK! Needless to say he ended up at the Dr.'s office on Thurs. where we proceeded to get new meds and pretty much no help in what is causing the outbreaks. I have done food diaries, I have analyzed all soaps and detergents and everything else you can think of so for them to say they didn't know made my head want to fly off. (Have I mentioned that my patience is short lately!!). I can happily say that on Sat. he only had a few and by Sun. they were all cleared up and he is back to his old, clear skinned self. It's puzzling and frustrating to say the least but I am happy he is all cleared up!! The mystery still to be solved!! We have a referral to an allergist now so well see where that takes us.

OK, well like I didn't have enough to deal with with Ryan's hives but leave it to me to get my first head cold of this entire pregnancy!! That's right, I haven't had a cold the whole time until now!!!! The last weeks and I get a stinkin cold. My head is full of gunk, and all I want to do is sleep which does NOT happen in this house so I trod along thru life but am I happy about having a belly the size of china and a head that feels just as big....NO!!!! OK , so I'll stop complaining and move on!! Overall I am just glad the week from hell is over , the hives are gone, Ben's company finally fully merge so no more grumpy, stressed husband, Keaton's sore legs and whining are over and we can begin again all new on this beautiful 70degree day!!!! Yes, it's time to close so I can sit my sick butt outside in the sun and let the sickness bake out of me!!!!

Almost to the finish line!!

Just a quick update on sweet little man growing inside my tummy. We are 34 weeks and counting and very active inside moms belly. My belly is HUGE if you ask me, I have gained very little weight anywhere else but my belly. Yes, I can see it in my face and there is a little here and there but over all I'm ALL BELLY!! I pretty much carried the boys this way too but this time around my belly just feels bigger than ever. Over all I feel good. Mentally I feel great most days this week, but by the mid afternoon and evening I am physically worn out and just want to go to bed by 7pm. I am really excited that the end is near as I am sooooo ready to get my body back and be able to play and run with my boys. I have had a hard time the last weeks feeling guilty that I am just not up to normal self to keep the boys busy enough to keep them out of trouble. My temper is shorter I have noticed and I just don't have the patience I normally do with them so thankfully only a few weeks left (hopefully) and we can move on and get mommy back.

We are about ready for baby #3. A few things left to buy, finish packing a bag and were ready. AT least I think we are. For awhile I was wondering what I was thinking having a third child and another boy at that but I have really embraced my three boys now and cant wait to see where our family is over next years.The boys love each other so much and I am sooo glad we have given them the gift of having siblings and all boys at that. Ryan is really talking now so listening to the boys go back in forth in conversation is just hilarious and heart warming all at once. It will be interesting to see where the new little man fits in later.

I finally am downloading the Christmas pics and hopefully Birthday pics so bare with me.

I can't believe he's 5! Happy Birthday Keaton!!

Time flies by and before you know it your sweet first born is growing up before your eyes and you wonder where the time has really gone. Keaton is 5 years old and such a wonder little boy and my heart just melts when I think back to the moment that he came into this world and I wondered how he be as he grew up. I am finding out and after 5 fast years I can say he's been a joy in our lives that I could never imagine a day without. Happy Birthday my little peanut. We love you so much and look forward to all the adventures and smiles you will share with us over the next years!!

We will celebrate the big 5 with a party at IT'Z Fun Center this Sat. with family and friends. This is the first party mommy has done at a venue instead of home so mommy is a little unsure how any of this will work but all sounds good so well see! I am just to pregnant to have a party at the house this year. This place has a party planner who will set up a room for us, cater to the guest needs and clean up. The kids then get to head off to play games, rides and ect... for an hour after. This place is brand new so I am coping with the germ things that keeps me away from places like Chunky Cheeses and ect... The most important thing is Keaton is SOOOOOO excited and I know he will have a great time.

Will try and post some pics of the party along with all the Christmas pics and more. Boy am I behind these days.

Date wrong or Big boy? That is the question!!

OK so this baby is going to be big I guess or he has gone thru one heck of a growth sprut recently. I am measuring 4 cm to big so thru u/sound last Thurs. it looks like he is very healthy just big so far. I have gained weight on target so not sure what is making this baby so big but at almost 32 weeks he is weighing in at 5lbs 6oz give or take. Yes, that's large. The Dr. thinks my date may be wrong but cant say for sure so I just have to be ready for a baby from mid March on or the possibility that he could be huge and have to be induced or have c-sect. if so. Will know more after next u/sound on 3/5. I sure hope he slows down a little. I'm taking it easy as baby is head down and causing me alot of pain with walking already and some contractions. The pain you endure for your children.

Giddie up horsey

Quick post about my crazy Ryan. Ryan has been making Ben and I laugh lately with his funny and creative imagination. His latest and greatest is his love of his cowboy hat, binoculars and hamper lid. That's right folks my little guy has a great imagination as a clothes basket lid can become the best darn horsey to ride ever. He will ride around the house on his make believe horse with such pride and say "Riding my horsey, Riding my horsey Ye Haw!! Ben and I have seen it so many times but still crack up laugh every time.

Another funny is Ryan has taken to shaking his booty, that's right his booty! He loves to stop at any moment and shake his money maker and make sure he gets someone else to do it with him. Ben's trying to get this recorded as it's something we can show him later and he will just die or laugh his head off.

He is growing up and turning into a special little boy and I just cant wait to see what he does next. He has a great imagination and is a smart little thing so who knows what's next.

SLOW DOWN!!

Ok, so I have alot to catch up on and I realize I probably will not get to much of it but over time maybe I'll catch up. I am however going to update on my little peanut growing ever so quickly in my tummy.



I am almost 29 weeks and my belly is growing by the minute. I've noticed that the end is getting more interesting as overall this pregnancy has been pretty good. I have felt really good, maintained a very active lifestyle and haven't slowed down much until TODAY!! My body is talking and I guess I have to listen. I have had a rough few weeks and it's time to slow down and think about my health and the health of my sweet baby. My last Dr. appt. my blood pressure was high for the first time ever and then yesterday I was spotting again and once again this morning. Lots of pressure down there so this little mama had to lay down and take it easy. Trust me that is NOT easy when you have a 2 and almost 5 year old. Thankfully I have a fantastic husband who came home on lunch the past 2 days and let me get a real good rest and even a little nap. Yes, I napped!!! If you know me at all I DON'T nap-EVER!! The last few days I zonked out without even knowing what happened. Like I said , I have to listen to this growing body as it's in control. I am hopeful tomorrow I'll be back to my old self , but reminding myself also that I have to SLOW down !!!

Oh, so sad

I am emotional already but yesterday I got a letter from Keaton's teach that he has had for almost 2 years now that she will be leaving in Feb. to have another back surgery. Mrs. Stratton is so dear to us and we are sad that she will be leaving but we pray that she has a safe surgery and a speedy recovery. Keaton has done so well at school the last 2 years. He has really grown up and become such a fine little man. Mrs. Stratton was a wonderful influence and role model and I pray that she will be back to her old self soon enough and back to teaching next year for little Ryan.

On another note I am filling out the paperwork to register Keaton for Kindergarten which makes me want to shed tears as I just don't know where the time has gone. Then on top of that I could cry more as I am also registering Ryan for his first year of preschool at Holy Apostles. Both boys will be in school, which boggles my mind. One thing I do know is I will really cherish every moment with this new little one that will be here very soon as time just goes way to fast.

Staying at home had days were I was ready to head back to work and send the kids off to someone else but I look back now and know that I have been given the best gift ever the gift of watching my children grow and them knowing that they are #1 in our lives. They have turned into such great little men and I cant wait to see how they grow and change as time passes.

Posts to come

This is mostly for me to remeber what I want to write about when I get the time again.

Christmas cookie day
Christmas morning and day
Bens Birthday
Ryan's fasination with Night at the Muesum and Tom and Jerry and Mr. Potato Head
Fun snow days
Friends

Oh yes and some updates on my little peanut in my belly!

So yes , I have ALOT to get to but so little time to sit so will try and knock out one by one

Putting up the tree

OK, so putting up the tree this year was much better than last year I have to say but always interesting when you have a 2 and 4 year old helping. I tried to have it organized and give everyone a job but as one know kids have a mind of their own and they do what they want. I gave in and just had a good time with it. The tree turned out wonderful and thankfully we actually had decorations from the top to the bottom this year unlike years past! It was heart warming to see the boys have such delight in decorating the tree and house. We even got daddy to put some lights on the tree outside and put out 2 deer. Keaton was over the moon about this as he was concerned that we did not join all the others in the neighborhood who were decked out in lights.

Christmas program 2008 for Keaton

Keaton had his Christmas program at school again this year and once again he sang his little heart out. It's amazing how grown up and on it all the kids were this year. Last year was adorable but it was typically 3/4 year olds doing what they do best, dresses over the head, picking their noses, spinning in circles, ect... this year they actually sang, knew their part in the play they did and stayed in one place and smiled and just plain had a good time. It was a great way to start the holiday season.

Thanksgiving pics posted

OK, I am way behind on all my post lately and am not going to try and kill myself trying to catch up so I will just say we had a fantastic Thanksgiving. The boys did a wonderful job traveling across the country on the airplanes. They had a ball at grandma and grandpa Kley's and they did alot in the days we were there and were such great troupers. They had a great time going on the metro to the Natural Science Museum in D.C. and once there were in heaven. The saw the Dinosaurs which they both are fascinated with, the Sea Life exhibit and the Mammal exhibit. It was a great day as the boy were so happy and enjoyed every second. We would've stayed all day but little legs were growing tired and needed to rest. We will go back again soon when we visit!!

We also had a chance to visit Great Wolf Lodge which is an amazing indoor/outdoor water park family resort and boy did we have a GREAT time. We met up with friends Caryn,Sterling and Keaton's buddy James, also Greg and his boys, Tommy and Will. I have to say this place was awesome and I would've stayed for a week if we could have. Keaton LOVES water slides now and he is not scared of how big there are that's for sure. Even Ryan rode the water slides. The place was so great as it had areas for all ages no matter what the age from age 1 to 70 or older you could find fun!! It was a sad goodbye when the visit was over as we had a great time with old friends and look forward to seeing them again soon.
Unfortunately we all came down with a cold on the trip but truthfully we still had a good time. The trip home was pretty smooth and the boys did great on the plane ride once again.

It was good to be home again but kind of sad it was over. We have alot of great memories from Thanksgiving 2008!!

A good outlook!!

OK, before Thanksgiving Ben and I found out we were having baby boy #3 and i was in a bit of shock with the news that I would be the mother of 3 boys. It was no secret I wanted to be the mother of a daughter but that is not the path god has chosen for us and I have come to see how luck I truly am for having the privilege of raising 3 boys. Many have said, " oh just have one more!" and yes that is an option but not one I really want to do. After the initial shock and bit of sadness of never having a little girl wore off I am now in a really good place and am looking forward to having an amazing life as the mother of 3 boys. May god help me as I may have more gray hair than I care to have sooner than later but such is life.

Thank you to all those friends and family who had such nice things to say and were so supportive of me in my crazy hormonal stage!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

Just a quick post to wish everyone a Happy and relaxing Thanksgiving. We are spending the holiday with Ben's family which should be fun. It will be fun to head back east and see everyone. Keaton is so excited to see everyone and looking forward to the museums and water park hotel we are going to. Hope you all fill your bellies and spend time with the ones you love. We are Thankful for all of you in our lives.

Drum Roll Please.... It's a BOY.... Again!!

Yes you read it correctly It's another boy for the Kley's!! We are carrying the Kley name for many years into the future!! Ed, I have done all I can to carry on the name but I think we'll be stopping here!!! The baby is healthy by what we have been told thus far so that is the most important thing! We will go over the results of the ultrasound with the doctor in detail next appt. but the ultrasound tech. said things looked great and the baby was almost a pound already. Keaton was toooo funny as he told the lady he wanted a girl and when she told him it was a boy he said " No, we want a gilr baby, we already have boy babies we need a girl cuz we dont have one of those!!" It was soooo sweet. He then told her "mommy will just have to have another one until we get my girl baby!" Hmmmm...not so sure about that!!

OK, Sorry it took me awhile to share the news but I have been coping with the news that I will have 3 sons. The ultrasound was on Thurs. and the tech was sure it was a boy but personally Ben and I weren't as sure but I guess we will believe her. The view wasn't as clear as it was with the other two boys. It was no secret that I really would have like to have a little pink around the house but that is not in our life plan I guess, as we are the chosen parents of three boys. Please don't take this the wrong way when I say I got really upset when we got home from the ultrasound. I know this is our last child and I really thought one day I would have a daughter and 1 out of 3 babies I thought I would accomplish this but TRUST me it's not that easy. I cried my tears and have now moved on but will admit I am touchy on the whole subject. Don't get me wrong I love this sweet miracle growing inside me very much, it's more that it's the coming to face the fact that I will never have a daughter that I'm dealing with. We did talk about possibly down the road we could adopt a little girl but that is WAY off and not on the table for now. Three boys will be enough for some time I believe. I have been blessed with so much and my boys are a true gift that I am sooooo thankful for so I am really excited to meet the new little guy that will complete our family (or our sports team!!).
Ben is soooo excited as he will really have fun with the boys as they get older as he already is having a great time teaching them all the guys stuff. He has the boys throwing the football and getting good with the lacrosse sticks, Keaton can hit a baseball like a champ and golf fairly well for his age.


Some good things about having another boy:
*I will always be the queen in this house!
*I don't have to buy much of anything!
*Will save a ton on not buying huge wardrobes, prom dresses,ect.
*Dealing with teenage girl hormones (I was told this is not pleasant!)
*Boy Craziness !

Keaton the cleaner

Keeping my house clean has been a battle lately as Ryan is the biggest mess maker I've ever come across. He loves to help clean up but minutes later he loves to dump and throw it right back where it was. Keaton has leveled out but has taken a turn for the better and he is now into cleaning up. Yes, you read that right!! For the last week he has cleaned the basement and main floor toy room up without me or Ben asking. He is so proud and happy about it and I couldn't be more happy myself!!! I have to share as he deserves all the acknowledgement I can give him. Go Keaton, Go!! He's such a great kid!!

Ultrasound Day!!!!!

Ok, while I am at it I have to share that today is ultrasound day for us. At 1:15 or so we will see what we are having and I am SO nervous this time around. Part of me doesn't want to know as I still have hopes for a girl when I don't know. As you know I would like a girl but truly I feel the little peanut is a boy so trying not to get my hopes up to much. This is our last go around and my last chance a little princess to add to my princes. No matter what we will be happy with a healthy baby but I still have hopes. I know everyone else is wondering also and some on pins and needles waiting to find out. I have received lots of inquiries so I'll post as soon as I can and some of you will be getting calls.... Melissa and Jen. Ben and Keaton think girl and I think boy so well see!!! To be continued later.........

Keat goes down for the count and the rest of the family too!

Just a quick add on to the last post. Keaton has now taken the fall and bounced back. I've never seen the child throw up like he did. He was such a trooper. This stomach virus hits fast and furious so watch out. I picked Keat up from school he played with friends in the church yard for 10min. he then complained of a tummy ache and we got in the car and minutes later he was throwing up. Thank god for Kleenex boxes or things could have been really bad. He was sick for about 24 hours and another 24 hours for recovery and this morning back to his old cheerful self. Thank goodness that's behind us. Now we just wait and see what is to come of little Ryan, he is the only one who hasn't gone down yet! If he is going to do it I want it to be now as we are traveling on Tues. to Virgina and sure don't want it on the plane trip or at the Kley's while people are trying to enjoy the holiday!! Oh and just to add that the same day Keaton had the virus my sister in law Jen, nephew Cadence and mother all were down and out that same day. Weird Hugh!!

Holy Sickness

OK, this is not meant to gross anyone out but to warn you to wash your hands and stay away from sickly people..... Warning!!!!!!!! Watch out for the stomach flu everyone, it's one nasty bug and boy did I learn the hard way. Also note to all I recommend not being pregnant when puking your brains out!! Yikes what a nightmare!!! It didn't just get me but Ben also so we were both out of commission with the two boys. We had to call in reinforcements.. IE.. Grandma DeYoung to help take the boys off our hands for the night as we were in no condition to parent that was for sure. Thank god for grandmas!!! It took about 48hrs and we were feeling like a human beings again and another few days to get our energy back but thankfully we are back and in full force. Which was good timing as little Ryan came down with the hives on Wed. and he was covered in blotches from head to toe. It totally freaked me out of course so now we are trying to figure out what caused them. He ate or came into contact with something that caused him to break out , what that could be WHO THE **** KNOWS!!! Thankfully this morning the hives are all gone and he is happy and his himself again so we will go on with life and now just try and figure out what caused the hives!!! Oh, and I forgot to mention Keaton is fighting a runny nose and horrible cough.
I know you all just cant believe how healthy we are over here Hugh!!! Good thing is I think we are on the mend but the bad thing it is just the being I'm sure!!!

It's potty time for Ryan

I had to do a post on this as it's a VERY big event in our house!! Ryan is almost potty trained!!! Yeah Ryan!!!!!! I was really thinking that I would wait till he was closer to 3 to really try and work on this but Ryan decided that the time is now and he is a big fan of the potty. He has been using the potty since 16months but not seriously but that has changed over the last 2weeks. Ryan now tells us when he needs to go and he goes and it's not just pee pee but Poopy too. He gets all concerned if he has a little accident before we make it to the potty and is very serious about taking care of business the correct way. Ben and I are so proud and relieved as I am hoping that he will be fully potty trained before the baby comes. One child in diapers would be great. My little boy is now a big boy and I am soooooo proud of him!!!! I love you Ryan!!!

Halloween and Bunking the boys

Another Halloween has come and gone and boy did the kids have a good time. Keaton started his Halloween fun on Thursday with his class party which I was lucky to be the room mom so I was in on all the action and one tired cookie at the end of the day!!! Keaton was a bat this year and one fine bat he was. I will get some class pics up as soon as I get them on the computer. All and all Keaton's Halloween started off on a great foot.

Halloween day was fun too as I took the kids to daddy's work potluck which had lots of fun food and cool decorations. We enjoyed some yummy lunch and treats and headed home to have some down time before all the cousins came over to go trick or treating with us. We ate some pizza and then headed out. Mommy had to hand out candy this year as I was told to take it easy so daddy was in charge of taking the little men out this year. We were slammed with trick or treaters and they cleaned me out of candy within 45min or less. It was fun to see all the cuties in their costumes. The boys came back with a load of candy and Keaton of course dug right in. Ben and I had to hide the rest of the candy as he was going to make himself sick. Both boys were in need of some down time so we curled up on the couch and had some popcorn (Ryan's favorite snack) and watched Peter Pan for 20min. to wind down and then they both hit the bed hard and slept till 8am, yeah for Ben and I.

Sat. morning we set out on putting the boys bunk beds together with took about 4hrs. Ben did a great job and they are beautiful and the boys love them. Keaton is on the top twin bunk and Ryan in on the bottom full sized bunk. I was nervous how this all was going to work but they have done great. Keaton just loves sleeping up top and Ryan once you get him settled stays in bed and knocks out till morning. I've only had a little visitor in my room in the middle of the night one time this week. I took him back to bed and that was that. In the morning it's fun to listen to them chatting to one another. They are sure growing up fast. It's strange to walk by Ryan's old room now and him not being in there sleeping. I am in the process of moving his things to his new room which is just strange to be honest. It's making it more real that there is another little one on the way and he/she will be here before we know it. Ryan has been my baby but now when I look at him he's just not really a baby anymore. He is talking and hanging with the big boys. Not to mention that he is almost potty trained!! Yippee. I will get my chance at little baby once more ad I know I will have to cherish each moment as time sure does fly by and they grow up way to fast.

Overall our house is filled with nonstop fun and energy and as I may be exhausted at the end of the day and some days about ready to check out but overall I am the luckiest person on the face of the earth to be blessed with so much.

Fall Fun

Fall has always been one of my favorite times of year but recently I have enjoyed it more than usual. Colorado is just beautiful with all the leaves changing and the gorgeous Aspens with their yellow leaves glowing and blowing. All the leaves fell off our tree in the front yard and Keaton was so sad that all the leaves were gone. To tell you the truth so was I!! We had a few cold days but now the weather is absolutely beautiful in the 70's which has us all confused on what to wear anymore. We have been busy and enjoying ourselves this fall. Here is a little hightlights of what we've been up to.

We enjoyed a day at the Happy Applefarm as I mentioned before in a post and the boys had a great time. The boys picked 3 pumpkins, and we had to stop it there as we were running out of hands as we needed to have a hand to help Ryan every few minutes as he stumbled thru the pumpkin patch. The boys really love doing outing like this. Keaton has his first taste of Hot Apple Cider, which was pretty funny. Lets just say he is not a fan yet. Ben and myself BIG fans of Happy Apple Farm Hot Cider so we will continue to try next year to convert him. As long as we live here I hope to keep going back. The drive to and fro are amazing and it's such a fun place to enjoy fall!

Last week we had our first dusting of snow which was so exciting for the boys. Yes, it was a dusting but to them it was several inches!! Ha, Ha!!! Keaton wanted to go out right away so I held him off until at least 10am and bundled them both up and sent them on there way. They moved what little snow there was around and explored as I watched from the window. No way was I going out there, the wind was blowing and it was to darn cold for this mommy!! The boys lasted a whole 10 min. if that and were in and ready for the hot chocolate I had made for them. We sipped hot chocolate and snuggled for awhile till we decided to paint which they just love to do. I'm such a lucky mommy to stay home with my boys and watch them grow and have fun.

We enjoyed a Fall baking day with the cousins in which we made cookies and decorated them and Skyler help bake a cake for grandma's birthday that was that day. The kids had a ball decorating the cat, pumpkin, and ghost cut out cookies. What a fun time.

We missed Boo at the Zoo this year due to Ryan having a tummy bug. We planned to go Sun. night but Ryan came down with a yucky tummy trouble on Sat. night and unfortunately we are still fighting it today. One more day and he's seeing the doctor.

Last night we celebrated my nieces 10th birthday. Skyler turned 10 which just amazes me. Happy Birthday Skyler, we love you lots!!

Yesterday was a full year since Keaton has his health scare so I am thanking god that he has not had any problems since and has been very healthy!! Thanks be to god.

Keaton was delighted as yesterday his class made applesauce but what made me laugh was when I asked if he ate any he said, "I chose not to have any mom! , IT was fun to make but I'm not eating that!" That's my Keaton!!!

Tonight will be fun as we are planning on carving our pumpkin which is always so much fun. . I hope to have some pics to share soon.

Little baby news... I am almost half way thru this pregnancy which is just amazing. I should be able to find out soon what we are having which will be exciting. I am feeling great aside from getting exhausted by the end of the night , which to be honest I did on a normal night!


Well, that's all for now and will hopefully update soon on the fun we had on Halloween. Hope you all have a wonderful spooky night and send some pics of the kids in there costumes as we love to see all our friends!!!

Sleep Over

A cute moment between brothers last night that I had to share. Keaton and Ryan were playing in the living room when I stopped to listen and watch from the upstairs balcony. It was heart warming to say the least.

The boys had all their dinosaurs, stuffed animals and any other animal they could find all piled up. Keaton had Ryan get pillows and he got the blankets and they put a blanket over the animals and then each of them would lay down and say they were having a sleep over. They would get up adjust the blankets and animals and then adjust the blankets for 5 min. and lye back down again and say night, night to one another. It was so cute, and nice to see them enjoying something together.

Good times

Where do I start???? We have been busy around here and just doesnt seem to be alot of blogging time lately. Keaton started back to school in Sept. and we have been adjusting to his new school schedual. He is going three days a week in the afternoon. I have to say I prefer mornings but I loved his teacher last year and she was teaching the 4/5's class in the afternoon this year so I switched him to afternoons but to be honest I prefer mornings as it's really messed Ryan's napping schedual up and as you know NAPPING is important to mommies!!! Good things is Keaton is loving school and doing well. He is a smart little bugger and needs the stimulation and interaction. August and September have been beautiful weather here in Colorado and we have tried to spend as much time outside as we can before it gets cold.

This past Sat. we woke up early and set out to pick our pumpkins for the year at the Happy Apple Farm. The boys love running thru the patch looking for the perfect pumkin. It was a cool fall day so it was perfect for getting our pumkins and drinking hot apple cider. The boys had a ball and Ben and I enjoyed ourselve too. Pictures to come soon!

Little peanut is growing inside me and finally give me a break when it comes to the nausea. I feel pretty good now and was happy to see my little one growing on an ultrasound pic last Tues. I am at about 16weeks now and in a few weeks we may get to see the sex that is if little one cooperates. We are so excited that our little on is growing well and so far looks healthy.

Quick catch up

Time has been flying by and I have not updated in awhile. Alot going on around here as many of you now know we are expecting our third little one in April and and extremely excited about it. I was feeling pretty lousy for awhile but have started feeling much better this past week. The boys are doing well other than Ryan fighting another cold and Keaton a bad cough. I don't think we'll ever escape being sick around here now that school has started. The boys are growing by leaps and bounds. Ryan is really talking now and doing really well on potty training. Keaton is just a little man. He is learning to read which amazes me. He is recognizing sight words and is doing so well and so proud of himself. Keaton and Ryan are a good pair they love to play with one another but of course get on one an others nerves so it's never a dull moment around here to say the least. My darling husband is doing well other than working like a mad man and having little down time with work and home. So to revitalize he's getting a guy's weekend in Chicago with his buddies this weekend. I'm happy for him but I sure would love to jump in his suitcase and fly away with him!!! The boys and I will amuse ourselves and find some fun things to do while daddy's gone.

I want to apologize for not starting my Natal News update as I said I would. Time has flown by and it's just been hard to find time to sit and write much lately. I'll work on that this weekend hopefully.

Recovery

OK, this sickness nightmare started Tues. with Keaton and is still hanging pretty good with me even this morning!!!! Keaton woke up several times on Tues. night crying inconsolably with a sore throat. We were up every few hours consoling him and medicating the poor child. The next morning he still not feeling great but had at least stopped the crying and was drinking and eating a little. Of course later that night (Wed.)Ryan's nose started running and we went down the same road with little Ryan. YIKES!!!! I was praying and washing everything like crazy trying to keep from getting sick however all was for not as on Thurs. afternoon I started sneezing and it was down hill from there. Thurs. evening the sorest throat I can remember having and the next few days were a blur to be honest. I of course can not take anything good to help make myself feel better so I basically had to tough it out with Natural cough drops and Tylenol!! This morning is really the first morning I can say I feel somewhat human. None of us are near 100% but I think were are on our way, at least we better be.

Huna....

Well are you wondering what Huna is yet? It's our beloved daddy!! Ryan will not call Ben daddy, he calls him Huna which is Ryan's way of saying honey!!! He has really become attached to Ben recently and fallows him around the house and if he tries to leave he runs to the door crying " Come back HUNA (honey)!!! This past weekend Ben was in full daddy mode as I've been really sick since Thurs. afternoon. Ryan who is normally a mamas boy found that daddy is alot of fun which is nice as it's great to see him bond with daddy more so mommy can get a break.

Labor Day weekend

Ben and I can say that we didn't just sit around like lazy people this weekend that's for sure. We didn't go more than an hour out of town but it sure felt like it as we had a fun filled busy weekend. Ben started the weekend taking Keaton golfing for the first time on Friday afternoon. He had a great time and said "Mommy, golfing is a blast! I cant wait to go again!" We hung out with the neighbors that night and started the weekend off right.
Early Sat. morning we woke up and headed to the zoo with a few of my neighbors and their families. We had a great day at the zoo and the boys walked the entire zoo and ended the day without even one meltdown or tear. It was one of those days that you wish could happen every time you take the kids out.
Sunday morning we woke up bought our tickets back East for Thanksgiving and headed out for a Colorado Mountain adventure. We ended up in Cripple Creek, CO where we enjoyed lunch and a real 45 min. train ride thought the mountain side. Cripple Creek, CO is close to 10,000ft elevation so lets just say we were really in the mountains and it was breath taking. The boys had so much fun on the train. Ryan was so sweet. He was sitting in between Ben and I and he just would look at us with those sweet eyes and say " This is SO fun mommy/daddy!" He said this almost 50 times. He just loved riding the train.
Monday morning we loaded up the car again and went into the mountains again for a day at the lake. We fished, hiked, grilled and relaxed. Later that night we headed to my parents house for a cook out.
It was a fantastic weekend but I truly am worn out to be honest and glad to be at home today and let the kids just hang out.

Turned upside down!!!

When things happen they seem to happen fast and the ones that take you for the biggest loop are those things in life you least expect. This past Friday was one moment that we least expected and has taken my family by surprise and it'll be awhile till we all get back to normal. What is it that has happened? Hope your sitting down.... my sister Tricia has broken her neck!! Yes, you have read that right!! On Friday evening she and my father and nephew were in a car accident. A 17 year old driver pulled out in front of them and change my sisters life for now and inadvertently our lives too. Thank god it wasn't worse as they were almost T-boned by a U-Haul truck but dad avoided that and ended up in a ditch. Thank god no one was killed and that my father and nephew were unharmed but Tricia was left with a broken neck. At first it looked like surgery but thank god after many CAT scans and tests they decided to wait on surgery and let it be for now and see how the fractured vertebrae heals. So that's where we are now. Tricia is in a crazy neck brace and in alot of pain but she seems to be making improvements so that is positive but the road ahead is long. My heart goes out to her as she will be down and out for some time to come. I can say if I were in her situation I would be losing it. I ask for your prayers for our family and most of all Tricia and Joe as they will need the love and prayers from many to help get thru this hard time.

Slish Splash!!

Keaton is taking really well to swimming. He has always loved water and being in the pool but he always had to have us pretty close. I am happy to say he has really gained confidence in the water thanks to swimming lessons. The picture on the left is of Keaton on the night where they were learning water safety using life vest.His confidence showed when this past weekend we went to my nephew Cadence's 5th birthday pool party. Keaton grabbed hold of some pool noodles and made his way all around the pool both shallow and deep. He tried to shoo us away but we weren't going for it, however he did find the vortex pool fascinating and had to be pulled out as mommy was getting nauseous going in circles for so long!! We are looking forward to the start of the next session of swimming lessons and I can only imagine what he'll want to do then.

Privacy

Ok, Keaton is getting older and yes, sometimes that's hard for me to accept but sometimes he's just to grown for his britches. Lately he has been asking for privacy, yes I know a 4year old needs his privacy!!! Chuckle, chuckle. To me hearing this means he is doing or going to do something that I'm not so happy about or it makes me wonder what he thinks he's going to do that requires me to leave him alone. Today I had to laugh as he asked for some privacy to go to the bathroom which I am fine to give him however when he was taking forever I checked on him and he was pulling up his pants and he shooed me away, when asked if he had washed his hands he informed me he needed his privacy again so he could get away with NOT washing his hand!! I had to inform him that privacy was not for getting out of an important thing like washing his hands, he than said "No privacy than just go away so I can do what I want." OHHHH my things are only going to get more interesting!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON!!! TODAY IS MY LITTLE BROTHERS BIRTHDAY AND HE'S NOW THE BIG 32!!! I WILL SOMEDAY HAVE TO GET HIM BACK FOR WANTING A 80'S THEMED COSTUME PARTY ON A 90DEGREE DAY!!!

AUGHHHHH!

Let's just say that staying up late and my boys do not go hand in hand. Yikes what a morning we have had and thank god that as I write this I am the only one in the house that is awake!! Last night the neighbors all got together and decided to have some drinks and play yard games and so that equals a late night for all, fun last night, not so fun today!! Theirs lots of kids Keaton's and Ryan's age on our street so they play and run themselves into the ground all night well last night I called it an earlier night (9pm) to put Ryan to bed and Ben was to bring in Keaton to me in a short while however he was playing with his friend Rylee so good that Ben just let them play until after 10pm. In theory doesn't sound to bad except Keaton Woke up at the crack of dawn and by 10am was whining, and complain so much I wanted to put duck tape over his mouth!! "For the love of god child STOP THE WHINING!!" that is all I said to myself all morning long!! After lunch and a painful stop at Target all the boys in my life went down for a timeout nap and all is peaceful once again. Keaton hasn't napped in I don't know how long so I am truly enjoying this moment for all its peace!!! Needless to say I don't think a late night for the boy is in his future our ours as I almost lost my mind. Oh and as a side note to share of the painful morning we went to McDonald's to have lunch and let the boys play since it's so darn hot outside (96) and our beloved Ryan decided right before we were leaving that he would climb up into the play structure and not come down and while he was up there why not take a BIG POOP!!!!!AUGHHHHHHH!!! Then I went to the diaper bag and guess what NO DIAPERS OR PULL UPS!!! Cleaned him up and he had to be at one with nature for the drive home. I guess that sums up our fantastic morning. Oh what a fun Sat!!

Ben's new ride

Well,we bit the bullet and are saying good bye to the tride and true Cavalier!! Yes, we are parting ways after almost a 11 year relationship but it's time. Ben's co-work has a son heading off to college and approached Ben about selling him our Cavalier for his son to take. Ben had been thinking about a new car but we have grown accustome to NO car payments, low tax and low insurance over the last 6 year so it was long consideration. Ben pondered and crunch numbers over the last few months and started looking at all the cars and found his ONE so he is now driving a Volvo S90 T6. Mind you it's used but it's new to Ben and he is excited as it's luxuary car compared to the Cavalier. I'm happy for my honey as he works so hard and is doing so well! He deserves a nice ride to work and a car that he can actually take co-workers out to lunch in. Yeah BEN!

The breakfast strike is OVER! (hopefully!)

Ryan has been on a breakfast strike for a month now. The kid wouldn't eat cereal, eggs, toast, even pancakes! All I could get the kid to eat some mornings was a frozen organic nutri-grain waffle and even than he'd only take a few bites. I am happy to report the strike hopefully is over!!! He has eaten cereal 3 mornings in a row and to top it all off he has added eating his veggies and mandarin oranges at dinner. It's been sometime since that happened also. I guess he knows what he likes however the boycotts are frustrating, as eating little fruit or veggies doesnt make me so happy but hopefully we are back on track. I have really tried hard to have the kids eat healthy but lately I just want the little guy to eat, so seeing him recently chow down half a can of mandarin oranges, 2 servings of green beans, 2 servings of rice and chicken made me see there is hope again.

Brothers

Just a little blurb to comment on my two little men in my life. I can say that I never have a dull moment with two little boys around the house. Some days it's amazing and some it absoulutley painful. I try and focus on the amazing days or I would probly lose my mind!! The boys are beginging to play more and more together. They love to chase one another and giggle and laugh hysterically while doing it, they also love building forts with cushions and blankets in the downstairs family room. They are starting to appreciate one another company alittle more each day. Keaton loves to go get Ryan from his bed each morning and after naps. He runs in like he hasnt seen him in years, it's so cute. It's nice to have a buddy around for each of them and it's nice that they both are learning to share, how to have some patience with someone else and how to negotiate to make things work out.

Now to how they fight like brothers!! Keaton at times likes his space and likes having things to himself and having that pesky brother coming around getting in his way, messing with his things sets off some battles. Now dont get me wrong, no fist are flying it's just the old fashion "MOM, get Ryan , MOOOOOOOM make him go away he's bugging me!" I have to give both of them credit as they both are pretty good natured boys and they tolerate each other pretty well. In the end someone is usually removed or the toy that is being fought over is removed and someones feelings are hurt but at least it's not a bloody nose or black eye... I've heard some not so nice stories about siblings fighting!!

Keaton is such a helper and loves his little brother, he helps him at all the big playgrounds that he's having trouble at, he protectes him when other kids are playing rough at the playlands and he alerts me if Ryan is having a problem or need if I'm not right there. Ryan too loves his big bro so much. He fallows him around imatating him all the time. Keaton does it, Ryan does it!! If Keaton's not around he'll walk around looking and yelling "WHERE'S BROTHER?" It warms my heart the relationship they are building now I am wondering what adding one more would bring to the picture.

The damn is opening!!

Ryan has been chattering for a while now but some we still didn't understand but he sure has turned the corner. He went from simple words and very simple sentences to fully communicating now. It all started with a dinosaur fossil which keeps breaking and he found that he gets much farther getting his dinosaur fixed when he uses he's words that I understand. "Momma, bones are broken! " "Dinosaur bone piece gone,momma!" "Dinosaur please momma, PLEASE get it!" Those are a few sentences that I hear constantly lately !! The cute one tonight was when I gave him some chocolate pudding for dessert. Yummy mommy, it's good!" and another to share is when I stole a small bite of fish off his plate at dinner and he looked at me and pointed to my plate and said "That's your yum, yum mom! That's mine!" Needless to say the damn is opening up more and more. He's been doing pretty well but he's really communicating now and I am understanding his needs even more which is SO wonderful. Ryan is a joy and so much fun! He's so playful and curious and my favorite right now is watching him dance! The boys got moves!!

New pics in the photo collection

Not alot of time to write about our fantastic trip over the Fourth but I posted the photo's and will post about the trip later today hopefully.

One whole year!

It's been a year already and I cant believe it!!! Yes folks it's been a year since we pack up and left our beloved Raleigh, NC and headed out here to the West and made our home in Colorado Springs. Time has been flying by is all I can say. The boys are growing and changing daily into amazing little men, Ben is doing well at work and I am finally adjusting to everything . We finally are adjusted somewhat to the climate. We survived a LONG winter, accepted that Spring starts in June and dark clouds mean nothing most of the time and that we live in a very arid, dry climate and things just don't grow like we were use to!!! We have also come to accept and love that there is NO humidity, no bugs for the most part (NO MOSQUITO'S) I can leave the doors open and the most I get is random fly. We have clear blue sky's and sun almost everyday, it's rare to even see a cloud in the sky until mid afternoon and that cloud is welcome to give your eyes and sun scorched skin a break. The mountains are gorgeous and over so many fun things to do. Overall the move has been great for our family in many ways so we have to be thankful for everything and enjoy life as much as possible as that's what life is I've found.... A Journey that is full of the unknown and that unknown is where you find what you least expected but hold most dear.