ahhhhh!

When I think of our family blog a lot of thoughts come to mind.  Mostly I think about how terrible I've been at updating it, lets be honest for the past two years.  I think of how far behind I've fallen and feel overwhelmed. 

Simon has been a really hard baby for me.  The first 5 months he didn't want to sleep and he wanted to be held constantly.  I felt like he was ALWAYS crying.  I felt like I was failing as a mother and couldn't get anything done.  It was rough.  In April something changed.  Simon started sleeping.  Seriously, it was AMAZING. I went from a baby that spent most of the day crying to a happy baby.  Simon started sleeping through the night, or waking up once instead of every 3 hrs.  He also went from little 20 min naps to 2 hr naps.  The past month and a half have made me start to feel like myself again.  So nice.  Heres hopeing I didn't just jinx myself and that I'mm become a more regular visitor to our blog...

guess who

is a big 4 month old...

Doesn't that little face just make you want to melt?  Well it does that to me.  Simon LOVES to be held a.l.l. the t.i.m.e. while that can be difficult sometimes he's a super smiley little guy so that makes up for not being able to accomplish much on a daily basis. :)
Last week we went in for Simon's 4 month check up.  25 1/2 inches.  The Dr said that's 50th percentile and 12 lbs 8 oz 1st percentile...  what?  I know that Simon is a little guy, but I wouldn't think that little.  So now I feel like a mother who is starving her baby.  Even though he eats every 3-4 hours and never acts like he wants more.  We get to go in again next month for a weight check to make sure he's growing.  So that's my Simon happy and very light.

meet Franklin

 January 11 was a beautiful day.  warm+sunny.  We went for a walk and came back with 

this guy.

Drew and I were on a walk with Gabe, Lincoln, Simon and B (the little girl I watch) when this big puppy started happily following us.  Drew went to the door of the house he initially followed us from.  The man who came to the door said that it wasn't his dog; that the dog had been roaming the neighborhood for a few days.  After we got back to our house Drew took him on a run thinking someone would see him and claim him.  Sure enough an older woman came out of her house and said "you found him".  She said it was her neighbors dog and that he'd been missing for a few days.  Surprisingly it was the house we had already been too.  So...  we got a dog and we named him Franklin.

He's about 6 months.  He's a shepherd husky or chow mix.  In the past month he's gained 8lbs and is now 38lbs.  He's a puppy so he's jumpy and likes to chew on things and act crazy.  But overall I'm really impressed with him.  He's SO good with Lincoln.  When Franklin is chewing on something he shouldn't if I try to take it he'll nip at me, but he doesn't do that to Lincoln.  Lincoln puts his hands in Franklin's mouth Lincoln rolls on the floor with him.  It's really cute.

I'm getting more used to him.  The first few days we had him I made Drew give him a bath everyday.  I realized I'm not really a dog person, but he's growing on me. We're getting him fixed next week.  The vet will have to keep him overnight and I'm a little sad about that.  

He's become my walking companion and Drew's running companion.  Drew tried to take him running a couple days after we got him.  Franklin did terrible.  He had to walk and stop and take breaks.  Drew wasn't sure he'd be a running dog, but he's doing much better.  Drew said he's always lagging unless there's a bird or a squirrel, but he does pretty well for 3 miles.  4 is pushing it so sometimes Drew will go out and do a couple miles without him and then come back for Franklin.  Although that is always really devistating to Franklin he always wants to come.  Even going to the bus stop if we don't take him you can hear him crying he whole time we're gone.  

In a nutshell that's Franklin.  He's a keeper.  He's good for me.  Our house has never been cleaner ;)

happy Valentine's day!

We decided to make our own Valentine cards this year.  We taped a york peppermint patty to Molly's hand.  I think they turned out pretty cute.

 Tuesday February 5th was the 100th day of school.  The kids were encouraged to dress up.  I L.0.V.E the internet we totally copied this cute idea.  We counted out 100 googly eyes and made a monster.  Her shirt said "I survived 100 days of school".  

Thanksgiving weekend

We've been adopted by our friend, Jami's, parents.  They invite us over for holidays and other family parties. It's really nice.  We spent Thanksgiving with the Fontana/Leckie crowd.  Lots of food and fun.  Sticking with our tradition (assuming we're home) we set up the tree the day after Thanksgiving. 

 I've become a baby wearer.  A friend let me borrow a moby wrap that she made.  I loved it.  When I saw one on Craig's list for 1/2 price I couldn't pass it up.  I don't use it all the time, but when Simon is fussy it instantly calms him down, usually putting him to sleep.  I always bring it on outings.  Lincoln prefers walking when we're out, but when he's had enough it's nice being able to tie Simon to me and then throw Lincoln in the stroller.

 I talked to Kelly a few weeks before Thanksgiving.  She wanted to surprise Drew and come into town Saturday.  She brought Suzie with her.  They arrived about 20 minutes after Drew left for a U of L football game.  He was so surprised when he got home.  I'm still not exactly sure how I pulled it off.  Molly even knew.

 M & G in their new superman cape.  We can always count on granny for dress up clothes.

 G & M with Auntie Kelly

 Someone else also made an appearance after thanksgiving.  Jack is back.

One of the cutest things ever is hearing Lincoln run around the house calling Ja Ja looking for him.  Then once he's found Lincoln talks about him for the rest of the day.  LOVE it.

a little before thanksgiving

We decided to send out Simon's birth announcement with our Christmas cards so I wanted the cards in the mail right after Thanksgiving.  Like last year Lincoln had no interest in cooperating.  In a handful of pictures he has his face scrunched up with his eyes closed.  He's a turkey.  All I can really say about that it thank you photo shop.  Drew isn't such a fan of more candid pictures, but I am.  I thought this one was cute.

 

 Molly's school had a Turkey Trot the week of Thanksgiving.  The kindergarteners didn't get to run through the neighborhood.  They had their own race on the track around the school.  I think it's 3/4 of a mile?  Or something like that.

 Drew stayed until Molly was done and then he left for work.  He got left the house just before they closed our street for the race.

 Molly's big finish.

 The big kids after the Turkey Trot. 

The cross country coach ran with the kids in the front. (I've heard from friends who have slightly older kids at different schools that Molly's school has a really good cc team)  The assistant principal is a runner and former U of L football player.  I thought it was funny when I saw him run by in his tie and dress shoes.  Maybe he forgot to bring more appropriate clothing?  A bunch of parents walked with their kids.  I think next year Drew will run with Molly.

I really love Molly's school.  After Christmas break we got a letter from the principal.  Molly's school is ranked #1 in our cluster/area.  Along with that little piece of good news it also said that any form of a mohawk is now against the schools dress code.  I'm so sad.  Gabe has had a fohawk ever since he was 8 months old.   :(

Molly's dresser

After cleaning the dresser I primed it.  It was amazing what a difference priming made.

 Then spray paint.  I wanted a bright turquoise.  This is valspar's exotic sea.  I bought 3 cans.  When I stared the third can it was the wrong color.  I kinda wanted to cry.  It was about 4 or 5 shades too dark.  A few days later and another trip to Lowe's the painting was complete.  Although I still think the replacement can was slightly darker.  :(  My original cans were regular spray paint.  When I returned the third can they only had paint+primer....

The completed project.  

(doesn't look so bright in the basement light)

 Since I got to pick the color of the dresser it seemed only fair that Molly got to pick the pulls.

She picked a fancy clock one for the middle.  I think she picked it because it says Paris.  We know all about Paris and how fancy it is because of Fancy Nancy :)

 Clear crystal looking ones for the drawers.

 The inside drawers of the dresser are hot pink.  It adds a little surprise and character.

Yay for having a fancy new dresser.  The best part was that the whole thing cost maybe $30 with the spray paint and drawer pulls.  Can't beat that.  And this dresser should last a long time.  It's solid wood and the drawers are dovetailed.  I love free and it's even better when it's quality.