Lets Talk about my boys: Ryan 3.5 years old

My Ry-guy!  I don't write about him nearly enough, so I decided he needed a 3 and a half year update.  First off, this boy has a HUGE personality.  He is loud, and outgoing, and silly, and dramatic, and smart.  He literally amazes us every day in some way or another.  He walks through the grocery store saying hello to everyone we pass.  He tells a detailed story to a stranger in a waiting room.  He is Mr. Personality.

-  We have definitely entered the "Kids say the funniest things" phase.  Some recent examples are...
"Wow Mom, this is a beautiful street" while driving in his friends neighborhood
"I love this driveway, its so fancy" talking about a friends pavers driveway
"I really, really, so much love you mommy" he is a mush with the I love you's these days
"Oh man, is crap really a bad word??"  "What about goofy, is that a bad word" as he is trying to figure this bad word/good word thing out
"And then... suddenly..." he uses suddenly in his story telling now

-His imagination is in full force.  Every day he makes up new scenarios and stories.  He wakes up each day pretending he has a new person coming to spend the day with him.  Sometimes its his real friends, some times its one of my friends, it could be a TV or movie character, or it could be a total made up person.  But he will stick with that scenario for the entire day.  As he builds his legos or blocks or trains, he has stories to go with everything he makes.

-His memory is scary good.  If you mention something one time, he will hold you to it.  He also recalls the very small details or the most random things.  I love to pick his brain and see what he can tell me and how he can retell a story about something that has happened.

-We have been recording all of the old Disney movies on our DVR, so he goes through phases of loving all different movies... Peter Pan, Aladin, Tarzan.  Also Cars, Toy Story, and Finding Nemo.  This week his favorite is "How to Train Your Dragon".

-He is loving the beach and the pool this summer.  Daddy invested in some super soaker water guns, so that's the newest favorite toy.

-We have had a busy summer.  He went to gymnastics camp, Blue Claws games, Kite Night, beach Sundays, Breakwater Beach Water park, the boardwalk rides, weekend in Baltimore, lots of play dates.  We have definitely been making the most of any free time we get.

-Ryan is a great eater... like better than most toddlers I know.  The other night I was shocked when he ate my stuffed peppers (red and green peppers, onions, sausage, quinoa, diced tomatoes, garlic).  He ate every bite and asked for more.  I am lucky that with all of his eating restrictions, he is not a picky eater at all.

-He has hit another troublesome sleep phase.  His naps are getting shorter and he has a very hard time falling asleep at night.  Sometimes it can take him 2 hours to fall asleep at night, and then he wakes up early.  I'm thinking its part of the eventual switch to no nap.  If he takes a good nap, he can't fall asleep at night but if he doesn't nap he is miserable by like 3pm.  So I"ll take the late sleeping if it means he will nap and be happier over all.

-I'll save the allergy, sensory, hyper activity updates for another day.  I want this to be about the fun things he does, not the stresses.

-He is a very proud big brother.  He likes to make Patrick laugh, and show him how to play with toys.  They are cute together right now.

I'm sure I could go on and on, but that's whats coming to mind right now.

And here is my big boy-

Lets talk about my boys: Patrick 7 months

I'm super late on this one, Patrick hit the 7 month mark 2.5 weeks ago.  But I'm gonna write this post as if he just turned 7 months, not current as he is now.  You know in baby world, things change over a 2 week period.

So that being said.... Happy 7 month birthday my boy!

Some details of this month and then on to the cute pictures.

-We don't have a check up until he is 9 months, so I don't have any accurate weight and height info.
-He is just now transitioning into 6-9 month clothes and size 3 diapers.
-I am very proud that as of just a few days before his 7 month mark, he was still exclusively breastfed.
-He is enjoying 1 meal a day, so far he has tried peas, bananas, sweet potatoes, and carrots.
-He is sitting 100% on his own.  Its nice to be able to put him down so he can sit and play with the toys around him.
-He has learned a great (very loud) screeching noise.  Its his way to ask for food, get my attention, or just remind everyone he is in the room.
-He is still on an eating every 3 hour schedule, can't seem to stretch to that 4th hour yet.
-He is loving the beach, the bath tub, taking walks, watching Mickey Mouse with his brother, and putting toys in his mouth.
-Lets not talk about sleep.  Its ugly.  Both naps and overnight.  We did give in and hire the through email sleep consultant because we are desperate for some help.
-He had a great first vacation to Baltimore.  He was so good!  He loved just hanging out in the stroller or in my ergo carrier.  He stayed up late both nights, and he enjoyed his first professional baseball game already.
-He is lovin on his mommy these days.  Very cuddly, always wants to be in the same room as me, and gives me big kisses on my cheeks (or he is trying to eat my face but kisses are cuter).
-We are still waiting on his first tooth.  He has had all of he teething symptoms but nothing yet.
-He is starting to enjoy spending time with his cousins.  They are interacting and laughing at each other... the age gap already seems smaller.
-In some ways he is just like his brother (he can be loud, he has trouble settling to sleep/staying asleep, he loves to cling on to mommy, etc) but in other ways he is so different (must more content and smiley, huge belly laugh, no drool or spit up, not on the move nearly as much, etc).  Its fun to watch them grow up as brothers but also very different boys!


I think that is about it for now!  LOVE my little guy.

Men vs. Women: preparing to travel

Both Mike and I will be traveling for 4 day trips on our own, for me it's next week and for Mike it's in three weeks. As I prepare for my getaway, I can't help but think about how different it is for each of us to get ready to leave for a long weekend.

Here is Mike's to do list before traveling alone:

- pack
- get address for hotel
- maybe get a hair cut

Here is my to do list:
- arrange babysitter for Thursday
- arrange babysitter for Friday
- type out schedule for the boys weekends
- make sure I have enough breast milk for baby
- make sure house is stocked with groceries
- make sure laundry is done and put away (so all my boys have clean undies)
- get a pedicure
-shop for toiletries
-pack my breast pump and all accessories
- worry for 3 days that I didn't forget something
- oh yea, pack my suitcase

Sometimes I wish I had a wife to coordinate all the details for our family! But hey, at least I'm going away :)



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