Monday, August 22, 2011
Misc.
If you spend some time around Garrett you'll find that he has a fun, active imagination. The other day Steve found Garrett pulling his "horse trailer" (red wagon) around. To help him out, Steve found a piece of wire and hooked up the trailer to Garrett's "pickup" (tricycle), and Garrett had a ball driving around the back yard!
Last week Garrett had his 2 year appointment to see his doctor. We were able to add Reece to Garrett's appointment so that his doctor (who had been out of town the month of July) could meet Reece and check him out. Both boys are healthy & growing! Reece has grown an additional 3 inches and 4 pounds since birth - making him an 11 pound baby! Aren't those chubby cheeks adorable??
At the appointment, we also discovered that the crying/fussy spells and painful-looking gas that Reece has been displaying are all forms of the dreaded COLIC.
We were fortunate to avoid this the first time-around with Garrett, but over the past week, the big baby C-Word has definitely rocked our world. Though it has been a frustrating and trying time for us, it is good to know that there is nothing wrong with Reece. We are quickly realizing that from around 5 pm - 7 pm every evening, we will have to endure the worst of the seemingly never-ending howls and fussiness coming from our tiny little guy. But we also know that after that time, it's all downhill, and Reece will soon be restfully sleeping for 3-4 hours at a time through the night. We are also comforted with the knowledge that colic is temporary and will (hopefully) be over before long.
Garrett continues to love on his brother, and hasn't shown any signs of aggression or hostility towards Reece (as I'd been warned might happen). On the contrary, he loves to give kisses, pat his back to burp him, and can't get enough of his fingers and toes!
Sometimes we have to remind Garrett to be gentle...
...but for the most part, he continues to be a proud big brother!
Our biggest obstacle now has been trying to teach Garrett the difference between his "inside voice" and his "outside voice". He doesn't seem to understand that it's not necessary to holler a request across the house when mama or daddy are standing right next to him! Fortunately Reece is accustomed to the noise of our home, and doesn't seem to be bothered by it. But it can be frustrating when Garrett chooses to use his entire lung capacity to voice his many different "boy" noises and grunts that are perfectly normal, but hard on the ears at times.
Any suggestions for a quieter home would be greatly appreciated! :-)
Last week Garrett had his 2 year appointment to see his doctor. We were able to add Reece to Garrett's appointment so that his doctor (who had been out of town the month of July) could meet Reece and check him out. Both boys are healthy & growing! Reece has grown an additional 3 inches and 4 pounds since birth - making him an 11 pound baby! Aren't those chubby cheeks adorable??
At the appointment, we also discovered that the crying/fussy spells and painful-looking gas that Reece has been displaying are all forms of the dreaded COLIC.
We were fortunate to avoid this the first time-around with Garrett, but over the past week, the big baby C-Word has definitely rocked our world. Though it has been a frustrating and trying time for us, it is good to know that there is nothing wrong with Reece. We are quickly realizing that from around 5 pm - 7 pm every evening, we will have to endure the worst of the seemingly never-ending howls and fussiness coming from our tiny little guy. But we also know that after that time, it's all downhill, and Reece will soon be restfully sleeping for 3-4 hours at a time through the night. We are also comforted with the knowledge that colic is temporary and will (hopefully) be over before long.
Garrett continues to love on his brother, and hasn't shown any signs of aggression or hostility towards Reece (as I'd been warned might happen). On the contrary, he loves to give kisses, pat his back to burp him, and can't get enough of his fingers and toes!
Sometimes we have to remind Garrett to be gentle...
...but for the most part, he continues to be a proud big brother!
Our biggest obstacle now has been trying to teach Garrett the difference between his "inside voice" and his "outside voice". He doesn't seem to understand that it's not necessary to holler a request across the house when mama or daddy are standing right next to him! Fortunately Reece is accustomed to the noise of our home, and doesn't seem to be bothered by it. But it can be frustrating when Garrett chooses to use his entire lung capacity to voice his many different "boy" noises and grunts that are perfectly normal, but hard on the ears at times.
Any suggestions for a quieter home would be greatly appreciated! :-)
Monday, August 15, 2011
Garrett's 2nd Birthday
For Garrett's 2nd Birthday we celebrated for 2 days!
On his actual birthday, Garrett, Daddy, Reece and I went out for Garrett's favorite food: PIZZA!
While we waited for our pizza to arrive, Garrett opened one of his first presents...
...he was excited to play with his new Woody and Bullseye characters from Toy Story!
CHEESE!
After dinner we headed to Wal-Mart to pick up a few last-minute items for Garrett's party the next day. As we were leaving, we spotted the game area and couldn't pass up letting Garrett go for a drive with Elmo!
He also went for a horseback ride - rodeo style!
When we got home, we dialed up Nana Kae via Skype on the computer and celebrated with Elmo cupcakes and a few more presents. It was fun for Nana to join in on the festivities!
Make a Wish!
I was excited to find this Little People School Bus book for Garrett - it is one of his favorite books at daycare but it's out of print. Fortunately Amazon.com saved me!
PARTY DAY!
On Sunday we had a small get-together with some of our close friends to celebrate Garrett's birthday. One of Garrett's favorite buddies, Brody, came & Garrett was a great host to his friend!
The highlight of the day for Garrett was when we showed him a giant bouncy house in our back yard. Below, Garrett and Brody get tossed around on their backs while the older kids jump & make the house bounce!
FUN Times!!
After enjoying ice cream sundaes, Garrett opened presents from his friends...
One of his favorites is this red fire truck from the Pearson family. It makes lots of noise, the ladder moves, and it rolls fast - perfect for a 2-year-old!
Garrett also received a Woody doll from his new friend, Adelyn (Darci's baby girl!). He loves to pull Woody's' string & hear his cowboy phrases. Below, Garrett is looking for Andy's name on the bottom of Woody's boot (as it appears in the movie) - but it wasn't there. Guess we'll have to put Garrett's name on the boot instead!
We had a fun-filled, low-key birthday weekend that I think Garrett enjoyed very much. We love to celebrate with fun, food, and friends...and that's exactly what we did!
On his actual birthday, Garrett, Daddy, Reece and I went out for Garrett's favorite food: PIZZA!
While we waited for our pizza to arrive, Garrett opened one of his first presents...
...he was excited to play with his new Woody and Bullseye characters from Toy Story!
CHEESE!
After dinner we headed to Wal-Mart to pick up a few last-minute items for Garrett's party the next day. As we were leaving, we spotted the game area and couldn't pass up letting Garrett go for a drive with Elmo!
He also went for a horseback ride - rodeo style!
When we got home, we dialed up Nana Kae via Skype on the computer and celebrated with Elmo cupcakes and a few more presents. It was fun for Nana to join in on the festivities!
Make a Wish!
I was excited to find this Little People School Bus book for Garrett - it is one of his favorite books at daycare but it's out of print. Fortunately Amazon.com saved me!
PARTY DAY!
On Sunday we had a small get-together with some of our close friends to celebrate Garrett's birthday. One of Garrett's favorite buddies, Brody, came & Garrett was a great host to his friend!
The highlight of the day for Garrett was when we showed him a giant bouncy house in our back yard. Below, Garrett and Brody get tossed around on their backs while the older kids jump & make the house bounce!
FUN Times!!
After enjoying ice cream sundaes, Garrett opened presents from his friends...
One of his favorites is this red fire truck from the Pearson family. It makes lots of noise, the ladder moves, and it rolls fast - perfect for a 2-year-old!
Garrett also received a Woody doll from his new friend, Adelyn (Darci's baby girl!). He loves to pull Woody's' string & hear his cowboy phrases. Below, Garrett is looking for Andy's name on the bottom of Woody's boot (as it appears in the movie) - but it wasn't there. Guess we'll have to put Garrett's name on the boot instead!
We had a fun-filled, low-key birthday weekend that I think Garrett enjoyed very much. We love to celebrate with fun, food, and friends...and that's exactly what we did!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Family Outing
Yesterday afternoon it was a beautiful 80 degrees here in Iowa (check out that blue sky above!), so we made sure to take advantage of the cooler weather! While Reece and I headed out with the stroller, Steve picked up Garrett from daycare and met us at a local park. As you can see in the pictures below, Garrett enjoyed his special time out!
Such a handsome boy!
PEEK!
Steve found out quickly that Garrett likes to race down the slide...
After the park, we all loaded up in the truck and headed to the Ice Cream Store! What a fun afternoon!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Growing Boys
Can you believe Reece is already 4 weeks old? Or that Garrett will be 2 on Saturday??
Reece is a growing, happy, healthy boy. He spends most of his days as a typical newborn does: sleeping and eating. He definitely does not miss an opportunity for a meal, as you can tell by the double chins and adorable leg rolls he is developing! His nighttime schedule is still in the works. Some nights he will sleep 2-3 hours at a time, others only around 1-2. Hopefully we'll get some longer stretches of sleep by the time I go back to work in September (fingers crossed!).
Garrett loves his little brother. He gives lots of kisses and hugs. He is also a fantastic helper around the house. He likes to throw away Reece's diapers and fetch things for mommy as needed. He has also been interested in "helping" in the kitchen as I prepare meals. Just the other night, he made his own biscuit pizza. He was very proud!
Here, Reece is wearing a shirt that Garrett picked out for him. Elmo is one of Garrett's favorite characters, so this tee was perfect for his little brother!
It is fun to see Reece and Garrett interact. Reece will calm down and become attentive to Garrett whenever he's nearby. I can't wait to sit back and watch the boys interact in years to come!
Where did Reece's neck go??
Garrett enjoys going to the store with me for one-on-one "mommy time". He helps out by throwing things in the cart as I hand them to him. He also likes to open/close the freezer doors. Just the other day the grocery bagger at Hy-Vee gave Garrett this orange freezer pop. He was disappointed that he had to wait for it to freeze before he could have it...but was very excited when we got it out of the freezer the next day! It was a perfect treat on a warm Sunday afternoon!
"See you later!", says Reece!
Reece is a growing, happy, healthy boy. He spends most of his days as a typical newborn does: sleeping and eating. He definitely does not miss an opportunity for a meal, as you can tell by the double chins and adorable leg rolls he is developing! His nighttime schedule is still in the works. Some nights he will sleep 2-3 hours at a time, others only around 1-2. Hopefully we'll get some longer stretches of sleep by the time I go back to work in September (fingers crossed!).
Garrett loves his little brother. He gives lots of kisses and hugs. He is also a fantastic helper around the house. He likes to throw away Reece's diapers and fetch things for mommy as needed. He has also been interested in "helping" in the kitchen as I prepare meals. Just the other night, he made his own biscuit pizza. He was very proud!
Here, Reece is wearing a shirt that Garrett picked out for him. Elmo is one of Garrett's favorite characters, so this tee was perfect for his little brother!
It is fun to see Reece and Garrett interact. Reece will calm down and become attentive to Garrett whenever he's nearby. I can't wait to sit back and watch the boys interact in years to come!
Where did Reece's neck go??
Garrett enjoys going to the store with me for one-on-one "mommy time". He helps out by throwing things in the cart as I hand them to him. He also likes to open/close the freezer doors. Just the other day the grocery bagger at Hy-Vee gave Garrett this orange freezer pop. He was disappointed that he had to wait for it to freeze before he could have it...but was very excited when we got it out of the freezer the next day! It was a perfect treat on a warm Sunday afternoon!
"See you later!", says Reece!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Reece - August 1
I almost missed getting a shot of this little grin!
Sleepy boy...
Reece is almost due for a haircut! (But I love those curls!)
Sleepy boy...
Reece is almost due for a haircut! (But I love those curls!)
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