You've Come a Long Way, Baby!

As we mentioned yesterday, we now officially have a Kindergarten kid in the house!  We are so proud of how far she has grown up from the timid girl we sent off to school a couple years ago.  Just look at her picture on the left (September 2010)...she was so unsure of preschool that she had to hold her favorite stuffed animal for security.  By yesterday, she was a very self-assured graduate, ready to tackle her next challenge.  Now, we don't guarantee that she will hold on to this bravery when that big yellow bus pulls up on our block in September, but we know that her stellar preschool experience will have prepared her for whatever follows.

The End of an Era

Sniff, sniff...is it possible that our baby girl (well, she was at one time!) is done with preschool?  Today was her last day at her beloved school, and her class presented a cute concert for the parents.  Out of three songs that she performed, this was the only one I completely captured.  As you can imagine, my attention was evenly split between her, her younger brother (ransacking the tidy room), and her younger sister (getting impatient in the car seat).  Anyway, we will post more pictures from the big day, along with some that the preschool provided from throughout the year, whenever we find time to get them together.  (Perhaps after Neve's baptism weekend...)  We hope you enjoy.  (If you notice the camera shaking, that was me trying to hold it together.  Stay tough...stay calm.)

Bring on kindergarten, baby!  And, welcome to the preschool, Michael!!!

Living Large

Since she's not yet sleep-trained, we don't often get the chance to let Neve sleep in her actual crib.  Usually she sleeps in the pack-n-play in our room at night and in the swing downstairs during the day.  But, today she passed out in the crib while the big kids were getting ready in their room.  Thankfully, she is definitely a third kid in that she could sleep through anything, including Michael shaking the crib as hard as he could.  She looks like she likes the big digs, huh?

Play Time

Until just recently Neve was never in a good enough mood to play in her infant play mat.  You laid her down, and she would immediately cry to be picked up again.  Thankfully, she is turning the corner from newborn-hood and emerging as a fun infant.  She's giving more smiles and coos and interacting with her siblings and toys.  She's still a month or so away from being able to grab her toys, but she sure has gotten a knack for grabbing Katie's hair!  We'll keep you posted with more fun videos to come!

Our "Runt"???

Today marked a milestone of sorts for Neve, as she visited the doctor for her first set of vaccinations. I remember thinking with the first two that if we could just get them to the 2-month point without any major illnesses, we were set. And, we did it with all three! It was just Neve, Michael, and Traci today as Katie was off to preschool, so it felt like a relatively easy appointment. Michael was pretty angelic (for him), content to drive his toy firetruck over the chairs and radiator in the exam room. Neve, on the other hand, entered and exited the doctors' office wailing at her mightiest. (She's not a big fan of her car seat, so it's not unusual for her to be crying her head off wherever we go.) The doctor and nurse were certainly impressed with her lung capacity! Anyway, she passed all the checks with flying colors. We were just told to give her a bit more tummy time to strengthen her neck muscles. As for the shots, let's just say that she is not a big fan...ahem. But, the combination of the wailing and the Tylenol has made for a very easy rest-of-the-day for all of us, as she has pretty much slept through it. And, finally, the measurements: Height - 23.5 inches (92nd percentile) and Weight - 12 lbs., 2 oz. (75th). Believe it or not, she is actually the runt of our litter with those measurements. Hard to keep up with the "Bigs!"

Per-snicks

Hey, hey, our baby is two months old today!!! If we had to use one word to describe our little Nevie right now, it would be "persnickety." (Is that even a real word, spelled correctly?) Our little girl knows what she wants (food!, to be held!, attention!), and she wants it now! She's a bit more high-maintenance than we would have imagined the so-called "go-with-the-flow" third kid would be. On the other hand, we have (knock on wood) managed to find some soothing strategies that seem to work on a regular basis. Our #1 go-to: wrapping her up tightly in the swaddle sack. No matter what, she seems to calm down in it. It works even better than a pacifier. We don't know how well that strategy will go once we hit the 90+ degree days in the summer, but it works for now!

But, we would be remiss if kept this post entirely negative. Our beautiful little baby has definitely come out of her shell in terms of communication and expression. If she's in the mood, she flashes the most radiant smile and will give you her sweetest "oohs" and "ehs." And, she has bar-none been our best newborn sleeper out of the bunch. Ever since she was about a month old, she has given us 8-9 hour stretches between feedings at night! We just hope and pray that this continues into the age of steady naps and bedtimes. She is also an excellent feeder, taking the breast and bottle with equal enthusiasm. Maybe that is why she is literally bursting out of her 3-month clothing!

She has her 2-month check-up tomorrow and will receive her first set of shots since leaving the hospital. We'll keep you updated on her measurements and well-being. We can't wait to see what's in store in her third month of life!

Sure Shot

What better way to blow all of your hard-earned money than to take the whole family to the carnival on a Friday night? We didn't know how successful the night would be as Michael hates carnival rides and Neve is, well, a newborn. But, we actually did quite well. Katie got to ride on a bunch of kiddie stuff, and we actually coaxed Michael onto one rotating fire truck. Both of the older kids won themselves some stuffed animals by hitting their targets with the balloon/dart toss. (See the picture of Sure Shot McGillicuddy!) And, everybody finished off the evening with some pure carni treats: ice cream, funnel cakes, and slushies! Mmmmm, mmmmm! Fifty dollars later and everybody had a satisfying evening!

Wanna Go Home!

Sigh...Michael has just entered that dreaded toddler phase we are all too familiar with because of Katie: the irrational fear. Sure, he is starting to be afraid of the usual stuff, such as thunder or unfamiliar loud noises. But, the annoying one that we are grappling with right now is his fear of flying bugs. If something even as harmless as a gnat flies near his face, he absolutely freaks out and begs "Wanna go home!!!" This is going to be a loooooong summer if this keeps up, because we are forecast to have one of the "buggiest" summers in recent memory. Perhaps we won't get our money's worth out of that pool membership...

Hometown Visitors

We were visited today by the family of one of Traci's dearest hometown friends, Becky. She and her husband Jeff, along with their almost-3-year-old Kai, flew in to the area from California for her sister's graduation. We were SO excited that they could stop by to see us. Thankfully, Kai took an immediate liking to Katie (see picture) and Michael/Neve were napping, so all of the parents could catch up. Katie and Kai played with just about everything in our apartment, including the Kindle (of course); and Kai now thinks we live in the toy wonderland. We just wish he could come over and play more often. We already miss you guys!! A big shout-out to Aunt Beth for completing all of her hard work for her Masters degree!

Go, Bulldogs, Go!

It is absolutely unbelievable to us that our first baby is entering kindergarten next year! Today was a very special day for Katie: her kindergarten orientation. Traci, Katie, and Neve headed over to her new school, Belvedere Elementary, to check out the digs. (Special thanks to neighbor Leigha for managing the 2-year-old at home!) The school is quite lovely, with clean hallways filled to the brim with student artwork. Katie was apprehensive at first, but then she spotted our next-door neighbor and a preschool buddy also there for the orientation. Soon enough, she was completely at ease and giddy with anticipation to see the school. We got to see a classroom, the art room, the music room, the library, the cafeteria, and the gymnasium. Katie participated in a bunch of activities along the way and eventually announced that she is absolutely ready to leave preschool for kindergarten!! Of course, the PTA was armed and ready at the school's exit, so we purchased our first Belvedere Bulldogs t-shirt. Go, Bulldogs, go!

Mamma Mia!

Happy Mother's Day, everybody! Traci had a wonderful weekend, with lots of terrific surprises coming from her family. Last evening, we attended a friend's baby shower at one of the most magnificent houses we've seen in Virginia. It was a country estate (yes, we'll call it that) right out of Better Homes & Gardens. The party could not have been more perfect for the kids, with a luscious backyard filled with toys, games, pinatas, and a huge tree swing. A big bonus for Mike and Traci? The dad-to-be's mother gladly held Neve (and even changed her diaper) just about the entire evening! We had almost forgotten what it was like to only have two kids, but we got pretty darn close to it last night... After the party, Traci got her first (AWESOME!) surprise when Mike presented her with a new Kindle Fire for Mother's Day!!

Today, Traci was in store for some more special surprises. First (and certainly not least), Neve went nine hours without a feeding...what a great gift!! Then, Katie presented Mommy with some beautiful flowers and a hand-made picture frame/picture that she made at school. Finally, everybody got to hang out at a beautiful neighborhood playground and enjoy the perfect weather. The only thing that Traci should have taken advantage of was an afternoon nap, but she got wrapped up in playing with the Kindle. She'll take a rain check on that nap, please!!

We hope you all had a special day as well!

Big Brud

As you may have noticed, we don't have many photos of Michael and Neve together. We've sort of had to keep them apart (or closely guarded) since Michael is a bit too rough with baby. However, he's really turned a corner lately in terms of his interest in her. He always asks "Where's Baby?" if he can't see her and laughs at her silly sounds and movements. He has started being more gentle with her (i.e. rubbing her head instead of head-butting it). And, for the first time, he asked to hold her today. He did a FANTASTIC job holding her for about 10 minutes before unceremoniously dumping her to the side. (Luckily, Mom was right there to scoop her up.) There just might be a future for these two after all!

Couch Potatoes

This + Nick Jr. = Mommy can actually get dinner on the table.

Fly, Baby Butterfly

Yesterday, all five of us attended a fantastic birthday party at a local playground. As one of the parting gifts from the fairy-themed party, Katie received a cool new set of fairy wings. She, of course, had to try them on today. As soon as Michael saw her in her new swag, he ran to our dress-up pile and got her old set of wings out for himself. He then dubbed himself "Baby Butterfly." Isn't he just the cutest little butterfly you've ever seen?

Just so that Mike doesn't start questioning our son's masculinity, I just wanted to include this picture. When Michael plays "Baby Butterfly," he doesn't flutter around gently and gracefully like a girl might. No, he climbs up on our bed and flings himself around, "flying" like a madman!!

Niiiiice....

Traci leaves for a few hours today to get her hair done, and she comes home to a baby passed out in the middle of the living room floor. Nice spot for a nap, Mike!

A Morning in the (Crazed) Life

In case you were wondering what a day in the life with three crazies five and under is like, here goes. I've decided to just include the events from this morning so as to shorten this post. There are some things that are specific to today, but the spirit of the chaos is the same everyday....

6AM - Neve wakes up to feed. Hooray, Nevie - it's been 8 hours since you last fed!!!

6:30AM - Traci finishes up with Neve, laying her back down in her crib. She breathes a big sigh of relief, enjoying the silence of the house. She checks a few emails/FB postings on her phone, grabs a few minutes talking to Mike.

6:45AM - Katie and Michael wake up - pandemonium ensues!!

7AM - 8:45AM - With much cajoling, pestering, and sometimes yelling, Traci convinces the kids to get ready for school drop-off. The worst at getting ready? The school girl herself. Thankfully (today at least), Neve has slept through all of this. Traci has given up showering in the morning since she knows that there is just not time anymore...

9AM - We drop Katie off at school...phew, one down for a few hours. Neve has miraculously slept through the transfer to the car seat, the taking out of the mini-van, the walk into school, etc. Go Neve! (Of course, Traci is fearing that she will wake up screaming and starved at any second.)

9:15AM - We return home, try to get a few morsels of food into Michael who has become Ghandi-like in his latest food strikes. Neve stills sleeps on....

9:45AM - And, we're off again!! Traci has her 6-week check-up this morning, close to the city. We need to head out now to fight off the traffic. Thankfully, Neve has never left her car seat and is still sound asleep! Hmmm...the clock is ticking as to when she'll feed again.

10:20AM - We arrive at the tiny waiting room for Traci's doctor, and Neve FINALLY wakes up!! Guess who is STARVING now??? Guess who decides to scare all of the pregnant women waiting in the area with her screaming wails? So, Traci basically has to rig Michael up with 36 different snacks and 25 different toys so that he doesn't dismantle the waiting room while she nurses Neve.

10:45AM - We finally get called back to our medical room...thank God the waiting room horror is over. The nurse tells Traci to strip from the waist down and wrap a dainty piece of paper around her waist while she waits for the doctor. Are you kidding me? I'm having to walk around a tiny room with a crying baby and a mischievous toddler while holding a napkin to my waist??

11:10AM - Tick-tock...the doc is still not in. Michael has now tried to dismantle everything, including the biohazard waste basket.

11:20AM - Finally see the doctor. Michael is mysteriously quiet while she is in the room. When Traci looks over at him to see why, she figures out that he is basically crouched down, filling his diaper with poop. Great...

11:30AM - We're done! Traci drives through Mickey D's to treat herself after such stress, but we can't linger because...

12:00PM - It's time to pick Katie up! And, here we go again with all three!!