Here I am with two hands free, and what am I doing?? Am I cleaning the many rooms that need to be cleaned before my father-in-law gets here Sunday? Am I taking a much needed shower? Am I getting the even much more needed sleep that I missed last night?? Heck no! I’m typing this fine blog post!
Kid updates: Evie is an official preschooler now. Still not potty trained, but we can’t all be perfect. She’s been promised her very own princess bicycle with princess helmet and princess pads if she can stay dry one week. She has been begging for this bicycle for months now! Has she even attempted to use the potty? Heck no! Her current response to requests to sit on the toilet: "The pee-pees are not ready to come out." Um, ok. They are certainly ready to come out in the diaper! Evie is also trying out some reading and writing skills. She sounds out some letters, memorizes and retells stories, and even writes a few letters, mostly the ones in her name. She’s currently a fan of the Disney Princesses, Curious George and Clifford. We’ve started working on computer skills. She uses the mouse and keyboard like a pro, and she can play quite a few games on there.
Alex is already acting like a 2 year old despite his birthday being more than a full week away. Or maybe he’s just being a boy. Or maybe it’s both! While he’s as cute as can be and increasing his vocabulary (which would hopefully mean he wouldn’t get as frustrated and lash out), we’re still having problems with some hitting and biting, mostly on his sister. He’s tried to hit me a couple of times, but has never won that argument so doesn’t try it anymore. At least the hitting is from frustration at not getting his way, so there is hope that it can be fixed if we can teach him other ways of dealing with his anger. On an academic front, he counts to 14 (how did he learn that??), but skips the number 6. Apparently, he doesn’t like that number. He loves to sing his ABCs when he gets the chance, and is finally showing some interest in coloring. Mostly, he’s just very physical. My next big purchase for him will be a trampoline to save my poor couches from destruction!
Vince is 6 weeks old now, and we’ve finally had some success getting him to sleep longer than 2 hours at a time. We’re up to three! OK, so he’s slept 4 hours in a row once or twice now. It’s a little tiring for the mom right now, but I’m working through it. Now I have work on being able to put him down for some stretches of time. He doesn’t like being left too long and prefers to sleep with me. So far, he’ll sleep in the swing or in his car seat. If I’m lucky, he’ll even snooze in his bassinet that his "Bamma" bought, but with his stuffy nose right now, it’s not his favorite place to be. He’s started smiling at me and Steve. Unfortunately, I never have the camera around when he’s in his smiling mood.
Steve has been extremely busy with work. He’s taking on extra hours to make some extra money. It’s a bummer since he’s getting less sleep (he swears this is true even though he’s always snoring just fine while I’m up with Vince). But all this will be temporary, and we’ll be in a better financial position when it is over. He’s also started a local robotics group, although the membership is currently him and a guy from Cincinnati. Know someone who likes robotics? Go to meetup.com and search for "Robotics" in Dayton. It’s the only one in the area.
Besides not sleeping nor showering, not much is different for me. Still in bell choir once a week, and (I have to plug this or I’m in trouble) I have a concert next Tuesday (Need something to do? Tuesday, March 18, Sinclair CC, Bldg. 2, Blair Hall, 7:30pm). I’m still on maternity leave from the Y, but am looking forward to going back once cold and flu season have passed. Of course, keeping Vince away from the nursery doesn’t mean that the other two don’t bring home their share of diseases. We’ve had a light cold pass through (yay for Airborne & Zicam - no cold for Mommy!). This turned into a near disaster last night when both Evie & Alex’s eyes suddenly turned into bright red, weepy messes at around midnight. Pinkeye - the perfect disease for a house with a newborn. Both were much better this morning, meaning we avoided a trip to the Dr., but Evie still had to miss preschool. My current projects include learning latin in preparation for homeschooling, getting our taxes done, putting finances in order and just generally keeping up with household duties (ha! on the last one). I’ve also been trying to keep the kids busy with crafts while waiting for the weather and backyard to improve so I can start sending them out to play. The snow is gone, so we’re getting there!
And now that both my hands are no longer free, I’m going to back to Vince and his many demands.
Super days to all!
Mar 5, 2008
New Kid Pictures
It's taken a while, but Steve finally managed to get new pictures off our new camera and onto a computer in our house that was shared with my laptop. Unfortunately, my laptop is going kablooey just as I'm wanting to use it more for pictures and video. Which means it take quite a while to update the website with new photos.
Some of these photos require some explanation. I took a series of photos of Alex climbing the cat tree. This was a common occurrence until I put the cat tree on its side. The kids love it because they can climb on it all they want now. The cats are not so happy.
There are a bunch of snow pictures in our backyard. It had snowed the day before, iced all night, then snowed again in the morning. Evie loved stomping in the snow and breaking it into different shapes. The kids also got to ride the sled we've been saving for them.
There are two of Alex in his crib with a bunch of toys. The older two kids share a room now, which means that instead of going right to sleep when put to bed, they play and talk and mess around for a few hours after bedtime. We figured that as long as they stayed in their rooms, we didn't have a problem with this. A few nights ago, Evie decided her room was too messy and had to clean it up. Right into Alex's crib. It took Steve and I everything we had to not laugh (since it's something we didn't want repeated). Both of us would alternate cleaning out the crib while lecturing Evie and stepping out of the room to crack up. All the toys have now been moved out of the bedroom until we come up with a new plan.
Lastly comes the pictures of us at Hocking Hills State Park. Since last Sunday was over 60 degrees and sunny, we thought it would be good day to take a short hike. Hocking Hills is about 2 hours away just southeast of Columbus. We got there in the early afternoon thinking that the trails would probably be muddy, but hopefully not snowy. We were wrong on both counts. The trails were actually very icy. And they have lots of stairs and bridges. I think if it had been just Steve and I, we probably could have made it. It's a little more difficult keeping 3 kids and us upright. Instead we went to the campground and walked on a completely flat, non-icy (just snowy) and paved "exploration" trail. Silly us, we didn't put snow pants on the kids, and both decided it would be fun to make snow angels. I did think ahead enough to bring extra clothes for everyone.
Hopefully, once I work out my computer problems, I will have video up.
Super days to all!
Some of these photos require some explanation. I took a series of photos of Alex climbing the cat tree. This was a common occurrence until I put the cat tree on its side. The kids love it because they can climb on it all they want now. The cats are not so happy.
There are a bunch of snow pictures in our backyard. It had snowed the day before, iced all night, then snowed again in the morning. Evie loved stomping in the snow and breaking it into different shapes. The kids also got to ride the sled we've been saving for them.
There are two of Alex in his crib with a bunch of toys. The older two kids share a room now, which means that instead of going right to sleep when put to bed, they play and talk and mess around for a few hours after bedtime. We figured that as long as they stayed in their rooms, we didn't have a problem with this. A few nights ago, Evie decided her room was too messy and had to clean it up. Right into Alex's crib. It took Steve and I everything we had to not laugh (since it's something we didn't want repeated). Both of us would alternate cleaning out the crib while lecturing Evie and stepping out of the room to crack up. All the toys have now been moved out of the bedroom until we come up with a new plan.
Lastly comes the pictures of us at Hocking Hills State Park. Since last Sunday was over 60 degrees and sunny, we thought it would be good day to take a short hike. Hocking Hills is about 2 hours away just southeast of Columbus. We got there in the early afternoon thinking that the trails would probably be muddy, but hopefully not snowy. We were wrong on both counts. The trails were actually very icy. And they have lots of stairs and bridges. I think if it had been just Steve and I, we probably could have made it. It's a little more difficult keeping 3 kids and us upright. Instead we went to the campground and walked on a completely flat, non-icy (just snowy) and paved "exploration" trail. Silly us, we didn't put snow pants on the kids, and both decided it would be fun to make snow angels. I did think ahead enough to bring extra clothes for everyone.
Hopefully, once I work out my computer problems, I will have video up.
Super days to all!
Feb 21, 2008
More pictures, new camera
Steve and I bought a new camera. It has more resolution and more settings to play with. Unfortunately, Steve and I know very little about photography beyond aim and shoot. So, with the total lunar eclipse beginning last night, we decided to get a crash course in how to take pictures of the moon. This mostly involved searching "How to photograph a total lunar eclipse" and then figuring out how to change the settings to copy someone else's recommendations. The good news is that we got a pretty decent picture of the moon. The bad news is that Steve and I are still not any closer to knowing what we are doing. Anywho, here is the original photo and the played with photo.
And now for the photos people actually want to see:
And now for the photos people actually want to see:
Feb 19, 2008
Feb 6, 2008
A New Addition
I'm a little slow getting this up here, but there has been a new addition to our family! Vincent Xavier was born at 2:31pm on January 30, 2008. He weighed 9 lbs. 7.5 oz and was 21 1/2 in. long.
For a picture, go to http://www.kmcnetwork.org/wcs/showbaby.cfm?id=11999.
As soon as our camera is working, I will get more pictures of him up here.
Evie is excited to have a new baby around the house. She loves to kiss him and pat his head and arms. Alex, on the other hand, could care less. Although, he does take notice with Vince breaks out in a loud cry.
We're all home and healthy (for the moment).
Super days to all!
For a picture, go to http://www.kmcnetwork.org/wcs/showbaby.cfm?id=11999.
As soon as our camera is working, I will get more pictures of him up here.
Evie is excited to have a new baby around the house. She loves to kiss him and pat his head and arms. Alex, on the other hand, could care less. Although, he does take notice with Vince breaks out in a loud cry.
We're all home and healthy (for the moment).
Super days to all!
Dec 17, 2007
Just a quick note
Just wanted to let everyone know that we are letting our domain name expire. Instead of finding us at steveanderinonline.com, you'll now want to use steveanderinonline.blogspot.com. A little longer, but it gets the job done without costing us money!
Super days to all!
Super days to all!
Dec 8, 2007
Snow Fun, Day 2
Here are the pictures from our second day out in the snow. Alex is learning how to walk all over again. Now the challenge is to walk in boots while being trapped in snow pants and a big coat. He was not really a happy camper. Evie loved it though. She was not a happy camper when we had to go inside because Mommy was starting to freeze (and hurt her back since she spent the whole time picking Alex up off the ground). Can't please everyone!
Dec 6, 2007
Let It Snow!
Hooray! The first decent snowfall of the season. And the first year both of my kids cared enough to want to go play in it! Unfortunately for them, I wasn't very organized or ready, which meant a whole day of finding all our snow stuff (hats, mittens, coats, pants, etc.) meant finding out that we didn't have most of it (who knew? Kids grow!!). The snow suit I thought would fit Alex turned out to only partially fit. We had absolutely no mittens that even came close to matching (no big deal) or fitting on little fingers (a very big deal). We had no boots for the kids at all, and their shoes don't fit with 2 pairs of socks on. Last night, after a quick visit to PetSmart to get to see Maddie (formerly Duchess) with her new pet parent, we made a run to Target to spend big bucks on lots of snow clothes. They are now ready to try the snow again today!!
I did get some pictures of their first day in the snow, and hopefully I'll get more today when we go out again. I've already promised Evie that we can go out as soon as nap time is over. At least it won't take all day to find their stuff.
Super days to all!
I did get some pictures of their first day in the snow, and hopefully I'll get more today when we go out again. I've already promised Evie that we can go out as soon as nap time is over. At least it won't take all day to find their stuff.
Super days to all!
Nov 2, 2007
Finally, more posts and pictures!
Yes, I know, it's been a while. But I do have pictures! See slideshow below, and click on it to see a bigger version. Sorry some are hazy. Me thinks someone was putting their smudgy fingerprints on the lens.
Much has happened in this crazy household. The last post was from July when we had just adopted a new puppy. Well, raising two toddlers and being pregnant with a third baby got the better of me. We decided to give her back to the rescue group in hopes that she would get in a home where she could run and play with a family that had more time and space than we did. She was adopted within a week, and is now living on a farm with a 5 yr. old boy and his family just north of here.
Speaking of pregnancy, we found out last month we are having our second boy. Just as Alex is growing into a sort of Spiderman role (he spends more time climbing than with his feet on the ground), I find out I'll be dealing with the same thing in about a year and a half! Or maybe not. Maybe this next one will like to be planted to the ground. Or maybe he'll just run really fast. Should be interesting. As far as names go, we can't make up our mind. Steve and I can agree on any girl's name, but boy's names are harder to come by. Poor thing is going to be "Baby Boy" when he's born!
We're getting ready to have a big preschooler around here! In just 2 1/2 months, Evie will be 3. Brag time for mom: She already knows all her letters by sight, can sound out a few (namely T, S and sometimes B or P), spells her name out loud, and can recognize her name, Alex, Mommy and Daddy's names when written. Of course, this just spurs me on to continue working on sounds, which means that Alex is getting all this info by default. Any letter he sees is called "eeeeeee" and sounds like a letter T. But that is better than nothing. We are currently working on colors with him. Next up is shapes.
Our biggest news is all about Steve. He has finally completed his requirements for his Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Yay!! Now we are just waiting for paperwork to be completed and for the correct quarter (we applied for graduation too late this quarter), then we'll have the diploma in hand!
Now that I have an easier way to get pictures online and onto this blog, I will hopefully post more often.
Super days to all!
Much has happened in this crazy household. The last post was from July when we had just adopted a new puppy. Well, raising two toddlers and being pregnant with a third baby got the better of me. We decided to give her back to the rescue group in hopes that she would get in a home where she could run and play with a family that had more time and space than we did. She was adopted within a week, and is now living on a farm with a 5 yr. old boy and his family just north of here.
Speaking of pregnancy, we found out last month we are having our second boy. Just as Alex is growing into a sort of Spiderman role (he spends more time climbing than with his feet on the ground), I find out I'll be dealing with the same thing in about a year and a half! Or maybe not. Maybe this next one will like to be planted to the ground. Or maybe he'll just run really fast. Should be interesting. As far as names go, we can't make up our mind. Steve and I can agree on any girl's name, but boy's names are harder to come by. Poor thing is going to be "Baby Boy" when he's born!
We're getting ready to have a big preschooler around here! In just 2 1/2 months, Evie will be 3. Brag time for mom: She already knows all her letters by sight, can sound out a few (namely T, S and sometimes B or P), spells her name out loud, and can recognize her name, Alex, Mommy and Daddy's names when written. Of course, this just spurs me on to continue working on sounds, which means that Alex is getting all this info by default. Any letter he sees is called "eeeeeee" and sounds like a letter T. But that is better than nothing. We are currently working on colors with him. Next up is shapes.
Our biggest news is all about Steve. He has finally completed his requirements for his Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Yay!! Now we are just waiting for paperwork to be completed and for the correct quarter (we applied for graduation too late this quarter), then we'll have the diploma in hand!
Now that I have an easier way to get pictures online and onto this blog, I will hopefully post more often.
Super days to all!
Jul 9, 2007
New Addition
We've had a new addition to the family! Yesterday, we adopted Duchess. She's a 7 week old lab/boxer mix. This'll have to be a short post since she only let me sleep about 4 hours last night (and the kids are going crazy having something new in the house). On to the photos! Sorry about most of them being blurry, she's the typical wiggly puppy!
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