The Adventures of an Imagination

Adventure #1...

I bought these magnetic pattern blocks for HK and I to do in the afternoon during our "school time" while the boys are napping. She LOVES them. She likes putting the shapes on a picture to make the animal, but she really loves doing creative things herself. We talk about the names of the shapes...trapezoid, rhombus, etc. Then I make a pattern and she repeats it. Then she makes a pattern and repeats it. Then she creates her own objects. She made a transformer. Then she made the person above...it was a "server".
I love watching her imagination at work!!!

Adventure #2...
What you can't hear is The Little Mermaid soundtrack playing in the background. I think I walked in on the background music for the battle between Ursula and Prince Eric on the boat that occurs at the end of the movie. So you can imagine how the music is building. I also just missed capturing Nolan swinging the broom up in the air (not sure what that was suppose to be?...maybe he was going to get Ursula with it). Again...what's up with the dirty socks (that's what HK has in her hand). Socks stay on HK's feet all of five minutes...maybe. Then when Nolan sees her take them off...his go right off too. They don't seem to care how cold it is!
Then HK got mad at Nolan because he tried to stand up and messed up their...boat?...that's what I am guessing it is.
Note the superhero capes in the front. Again, I am not sure why the front? They typically wear them in the back.
Adventures like this in the playroom are quite often! This one was tonight while I was cooking supper.

Adventure #3...

This might be my favorite...
Can you guess what they are "riding"? Well your eyes tell you it's a hot pink body pillow with blankets on top and a stuffed snowman. Now use your imagination...it is obviously a dragon with spiky tails that is flying them through the air. Duh!!!
Yes...we have recently watched "How To Train Your Dragon." I think it was two weeks ago. We are still talking about, playing, with, and riding dragons around our house. For the first week, HK insisted that I call her Astrid (the girl's name in the movie).
"Hold on Bubba!"

Guess he didn't hold on tight enough!

The imagination is an awesome thing! Life would be so boring without it!

Snow Room

I have come to the conclusion that when it snows, Daddy is at work, and it's reeeeeealy coooold outside (and you have a baby at home too), that this is the best way to play in the snow!

Bring it in!!! We did this last year a couple of times. This is our first time in our new house. So the playroom became the snow room! Amazingly enough the kids were very excited and were good with bringing it in instead of going out. Clean up was much easier too!
I am not sure who loved it more?

I think they thought it was snack time because they pretty much ate it as much as they played with it.


Love this face!

And this smile!

Cold...it's cold...that's what Nolan kept saying over and over.


COLD...IT'S COLD


I think we even put snow on the hairbrush and sucked it out! How lovely! I am one proud Momma!

Trains

Nolan's Christmas gift this year was a train table and some accessories. Other friends and relatives bought him some of the Thomas engines to go with it. After taking the Christmas tree down this past week (I know...finally), I decided we would put the train table in the family room for the rest of winter.
I knew that it would probably get played with more in the family room. I also figured that Nate and other adults would be more likely to play with him and show him how to make tracks if it were in the family room.
I wasn't sure if I would like it in the family room, but so far it has proved to be a good move! It has been played with more the past 3 days then in all of the days combined since Christmas.
Played with by all...

Nolan has loved snuggling up on people's lap lately and reading books. He loves to do the reading and point stuff out to you.

His speech therapy has been going well! He has actually started putting words together and trying to talk alot more. He has been putting "t" on the end of some words and also "p". We are so excited to see progress. He says "dirty" with the "t" and the whole word very plainly. We got so excited he kept saying it over and over, louder and louder. It was pretty funny.
Nate loved the Saturday morning snuggling with Nolan!

Nate has even started getting in on the train fun! He built a track after the kids were in bed Sunday night for them to play with today. Then at lunch today when he was home they begged him to play trains. He got down and played for a few minutes. Then when he had to go back they both hung on his legs so he wouldn't leave. It was so cute! They love their Daddy!

Four Months

We are already here....four months today!

Buddy you are 15 lbs 7 oz and 26 1/2 inches long.

Your weight was actually just in the 60ish % and your heighth was 90th%.

I guess Nolan is going to have the biggest jug...your head was only in the 55th%.

You got your 2nd round of shots and you were a pretty big boy. One little wail, but you quickly calmed down. You also charmed them all with your big smiles!

When Dr Blanke first walked in he said, "You sure look like your brother. You can't deny your genes."

I think you do look like pictures of Nolan when he was younger, but you definitely have your own little look going on too!


I think you have Daddy's long arms because so many of your shirts look like they are 3/4 sleeves!

Getting your little cat nap in that you can't quite do without in the evening. This is your favorite place to have it. Sometimes you get it in the floor or in your little seat.
Obviously Daddy needed one tonight too!

Look at you all big in the highchair. You officially took over Nolan's highchair this week and booted him to the little travel seat that we put on one of the kitchen chairs. He didn't seem to mind too much. He likes being a big boy too!

You tried rice cereal for the first time last Saturday. I have been grasping at straws to get you to sleep longer than 8 hours at night. I know that's great and normal, but your siblings spoiled me by sleeping 11-12 hours by now. I know each one of you is so very different and I can't compare you.
You were excited to try something new...
But I'm not sure you liked it too much. I eventually had to give you a bite and then stick your paci in so you would suck it on down.
It's a slow process but think you are going to get the hang of it eventually. It hasn't made you have great strides in sleeping longer... so scratch that on my list of ideas. However, the last two nights you have slept until 6 am instead of 4:30. So I think we are getting there. I should be grateful for your amazing demeanor and enjoy the 4:30 or 6 am wake up call. I know they will end soon.

You usually take a 1-2 hr morning nap and 2-3 hr afternoon nap. You smile soooo much and are soooo happy! You are truly such a joy. I love to see how your personality is slowly starting to emerge. You also are starting to enjoy watching your sister and brother.

I am trying to cherish these baby days because they are going to be over before I know it!

I love you sweet boy #2!

It's A Wrap

So I think this should wrap up and tie up all of my loose ends for pictures from the Christmas Season.

These pictures are from Christmas Eve and Day thanks to Sarah!

Liam finally getting some down time on the floor and getting ready for bed on Christmas Eve.


I obviously have some things to teach Hallie Kate here....she is shoving her dirty sock in Andrew's nose to smell. She needs to realize it's only okay to do this to Andrew.

What is it with my kids and dirty socks?

I love this picture. We are trying to wind down on Christmas Eve (if that's possible) with a movie.

How classic...in case you don't know...the TV is what they are all 3 looking at!

Before Nate left for work

These are so precious...especially since the swaddling days are in the past now!
He is a big boy now! No more swaddler.
Christmas Day can be rough on a wittle guy!