Photo dump

Just dressing up Stella in Izzy's clothing.

Goofball in her blocks bin

Super excited about building blocks

Morning snuggles and coloring.

Izzy helped me make dessert for cooking club on one of my two "freeze days" home with the kids this week.

Being silly with Daddy's hat

Big boy eating everything in sight! He ate sausage and pancakes for lunch the other night and inhaled it! He needs to stop trying to grow up so fast.

Dancing before bed

We finished Izzy and Bobby's valentines on Tuesday. Izzy was pretty vocal about which color her friends got and how I out the tags on the bubbles.

"I just working on my numbers mom!"

One of my freeze days forecast, just as a funny reminder someday.

Just watching the poor postman deliver in this cold weather.

That moment when you realize your baby might be bigger than your oldest!

Someone is starting to get into things already.

I could just eat him up.

She is in love with her new Lego train set.

I could eat her up too! I can't believe I signed her up for preschool today! Slow down time, I can't handle how fast all of these milestones are coming!

Izzy and I before beach day at school.

Video Uploads

7.5 Months

Well, time has a way of getting away from you. I didn't realize that I had forgotten to take Bobby's 7 month photos until today, oops! Well, Mr. Bobby has sure gotten bigger in the last month. His personality is hilarious and he is always happy. He is starting to MOVE now, which we are not ready for yet. With Izzy, we couldn't wait for each milestone, now with Bobby, we are dreading them. We know that the baby gates will be back up soon and we will have to go through Izzy's toys to see what things need to be put away until Bobby gets a little bigger since he puts EVERYTHING in his mouth. Taking this month's photos were a little more challenging on the rocker because Bobby loves to move and well, so does the rocking chair. I am constantly in awe of our little man and have a hard time racking my brain to remember Izzy at this age and stage. It seems like so long ago, but truthfully, it wasn't all that long ago. Bobby and Izzy are buddies and Izzy is doing a great job of sharing her toys and things with Bobby now that he is rolling around and able to get into more of her things. She is his little babysitter. 

Bobby's Loves:

*Rolling over and over and over. He just recently figured out how to roll from his back to his tummy and now we can't keep him in one place. He has been rolling from his stomach to his back for months, but would always get his arm stuck when trying to go from my back to his tummy, until now.

*EATING, EATING, EATING, and EATING SOME MORE! This boy wants to be a big boy. Today for lunch, he preferred eating finger food instead of his baby food. He ate blueberry pancakes and sausage, he inhaled it. I think he ate more than Izzy did! 

*Sleeping/Napping. He is back on his normal schedule FINALLY. He sleeps from 6:30-6:30. He usually naps from 9-11 and 1-3, sometimes longer. 

*Little blankie and nuk. The only way he will fall asleep.

*Falling asleep in his crib, I think we are over the honeymoon period of him sleeping on the go and in his carseat, he is too busy checking things out to nap, unless he is in his crib.

*His family. Bobby LOVES Izzy, she can make him smile by saying his name. He doesn't like feeling like he is being ignored and wants to be part of the action. We can't put him in the jumper and grab a glass of water without him fussing because he can't see you. 

*He has been sitting up on his own for over a month. He loves his new perspective and everything he can see and do.

!

 He looks so old in this photo, it makes me sad!

Mr. Giggles, trying to move on the rocker.

Look out world, another crawler will be coming soon.

That smile and four teeth!

Token excited face

I could just eat him up!

Oh hey, what is that?

Izzy didn't want to be left out, she wanted a picture too.

Bobby just wanted to eat his elephant

Can't get enough of these two! So happy to have an extra day with them today. These days are the best!

Izzy noticed their shirts were the same color and wanted a "matching picture".

Family night

Four toofers!  I have eyelash envy!

Someone had a great day at daycare in Friday! She only went one day last week and was pretty excited about it! We came outside to find it was snowing and she was pretty jazzed about it!

Just eating the frosting off of the cupcake

Izzy helped me make Mickey pancakes for breakfast.

Izzy picked out her outfit yesterday. We took Bobby into the doctor to have peace of mind that he was healthy and he is! Izzy came down with this outfit and told me, "The doctor likes this shirt mommy! It makes the doctor no get sick!"

Oh these two! Izzy was rolling over like Bobby and they would both giggle.

Just checking himself out!

Auntie Heather bought the kids a bunch of shoes and goodies. Bobby loved his new hat and chewing on his new rainboots!

Daddy is home!! We celebrated by going to the Mall of America for dinner and going to the aquarium.

Daddy let Izzy pick out some Legos as his gift from traveling. ;)

Touching the sea anemones.

Taking it all in.

Bobby stayed up past his bedtime, we hoped he would sleep, but he was too interested in what was going on. He didn't even sleep in the car on the way home.

In awe

So cool!

Help!

Oh no, I am being eaten!

Calm before the STORM

Well after last week's stomach flu epidemic that hit our house, we were looking forward to the weekend and resting up for a healthy week ahead. The weekend started off great, Izzy had gymnastics and was super happy. We were all happy to be normal, somewhat, it took Pat until Saturday night to feel relief. We woke up Sunday and it was gorgeous! We were so excited to go play outside and in the snow! I put Bobby down for a nap and Pat got Izzy ready to go outside and play with me. As he was getting her ready, they were talking about how nice it was that she was feeling better and how she could go play outside, her response was, "No, I not feel better daddy. I have a fever!" He took her temp and sure enough, she had a fever of 100.4. She was super sad to learn that she couldn't go outside on the gorgeous day! After her nap, we decided to risk it, even though her nose had started to run and a cough had started, and take a little walk to get some fresh air. Izzy loved it, but was a little slow at keeping up. We came inside for dinner and were hopeful that she would wake up fever free on Monday since I would be home for Martin Luther King day.

She woke up on Monday with a temp still and her cough was getting deeper. I contemplated taking her into the doctor and eventually when her temp read 101, decided to go. Boy am I glad I did. It turns out she had two days of being healthy after the stomach flu, but talk about kicking her when she was down, she managed to pick up Influenza A. The doctor told me she would likely be out of daycare all week!  I had taken two days off to be with her and I got sick myself, grades were due this week, I had an Open house, and Pat was leaving Wednesday morning for a work trip! I started to panic and could feel my blood pressure rising! I was reAdy to throw in the towel, just call my boss and say I can't juggle two kids and working full time, especially when one of my kids is always sick. I am going to use all of my sick days in the month of January and not be able to go on Pat's work trip that he was awarded (way to go hubby, love you!). Have I mentioned that I have been panicking about how to get Izzy to and from preschool this past week too. Apparently preschools don't have accommodations for working parents that start work before 9am or don't have a "sitter to drop them off" as I was told. This was the week I was ready to throw in the towel because logistically with our schedules, time off/vacation days, preschool schedules, daycare costs when not attending, etc was becoming a nightmare. Until, by the grace of God, my amazing in laws reached out a hand to help me up when I needed it the most! 

I text Pat while waiting in the Walgreens' drive thru for Izzy's medicine, "I am going to kill someone" because at that moment I was about to explode! I was so stressed, then they told me it would take 30 minutes for her medicine to be ready, which meant she wouldn't get it until after nap. Bobby was screaming in the back in need of a bottle and Izzy was fussing too and getting mad that Bobby wouldn't look at her. The woman at the window could tell that I was fighting back tears when I repeated back to her, "30 minutes, are you serious?!" She put the drive thru phone down and shouted something to the pharmacist and came back on and told me they could do it in 10-15 minutes! Thank goodness, but that was the longest 10-15 minutes of my life I swear. Driving around with a screaming baby, trying to hold a bottle while driving, all while having a sick toddler tell you she wants another sucker and wants to feed her brother. I sent a text to my in laws letting them know that she was sick and I didn't know how we were going to make this work with Pat traveling and semi-jokingly said does anybody want to hang out with Izzy. Patti text and offered up Paul and I about screamed as loud as I could for joy, as this news came in the midst of the 10-15 minute prescription waiting time. 

Patti sent Paul with a cooler full of frozen meals for us and Paul made a stop at the Liquor Store for some Spotted Cow Beer. They know the way to our hearts! Paul/Grandpa spent all day Wednesday with Izzy so I could work and get my grades done. It was amazing! Izzy loved the fact that she got Grandpa all to herself. Patti and Paul, we can't thank you enough for rescuing is when we were in a bind. You didn't even think twice about it and dropped everything to come help us, thank you!!! I truly think I would have had a midlife crisis had you not offered to make the trip to help us! We feel so blessed to be surrounded by our amazing families and know we are so fortunate to have families that are always so willing to help each other out. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Izzy keeps telling me she is excited for grandpa and grandma to come back soon, thankfully they will be here next weekend.

The temperature outside began to drop and Izzy's temperature had been gone since Tuesday. Daycare said she could come back Thursday and Izzy said she wanted to go back. She only got to go for two days last week, so she has really missed her friends and since Christmas break, has only been there for a total of five days! (But we still get to pay for all of those days, oh the joys of daycare). As the night progressed, several of my coworkers speculated about whether we would have school today due to the extreme cold temperatures. I put Izzy to bed and received a text and call confirming that I would be off today with the kiddos. It came at the perfect time! We were in the midst of the storm and things were starting to settle down, but we all needed a day to recoup and today was that day. We didn't have to rush out of the house in the morning for daycare and work, we could eat a later breakfast and enjoy being in our pajamas all day. We could cuddle and not because we are sick for once, but because we can. I cherish days like these because when I am working all day, the mornings and evenings get crazy and we have to stick to our schedule and end up treading water until the kids are asleep and we finally sit down to breath for the day. I love that I have just one more day of work and then I get to be with the kids for the weekend and Pat will be home. I hope the weather warms up and the kids stay healthy until summer! 

I am feeling thankful today, even though life has been insane lately! Family stepped in to help when Izzy was sick, Nana offered to help with preschool drop offs when needed, and a former student's mom offered to help out with preschool pick up for us next year as well. Sometimes life has you treading water, but if you remember at least you are still above water, you'll make it through, but not without family of course!

Bobby working on his fourth tooth!

Daddy had to carry Izzy on our wall, this is when it all began!

A fever can't stop this girl from playing!

A little outdoor scooter action

Bobby wants to eat what we are eating so I put beef stew in the food processor, he gobbled it up!

Practicing opening her mouth for the strep test. She got her throat and nose swabbed at the doctor.

Ahhhh thank you Paul! Much needed after Open House!

Izzy woke at 4:30am and couldn't stop coughing, I put on a show for her so she could catch her breath. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Building trains with grandpa

Grandpa reading Izzy her favorite Princess hide and seek book this morning.

Bad photo, but his two top teeth are in.

I think we should get a Buy One Get One Free deal on braces at this rate.

Izzy has been so excited that she can come by Bobby now that she is feeling better now.

Goofballs