4 years and 4 months

Dear Nans,

Didn't I just write to you last month?  Where is our summer going?  It is moving along very quickly!  We've been busy this last month.  We went to Colorado, you had Safari Camp, and we've been to the lake.  You've also had quite a few play dates this summer.  Since when are you old enough to have play dates???  

I can't believe we are down to about two months left of you being our baby in the family.  You don't like to be called our baby, but right now you are!  You are my sidekick and I'm starting to wonder how things will go with little brother's arrival.  You talk about him all the time and ask all kinds of questions.  I'm thinking you will adore him, but I also see a little bit of jealousy in our future! Only time will tell for sure!  

You are still taking quite an interest in learning the letter sounds this summer.  You bring it up on your own, which I love!  You also love writing your letters.  You've done a lot of letter writing with chalk on the driveway this summer.  I'm impressed how well you copy the letters I write for you and you love doing it!  Yeah, I love seeing interest.  Once again, it comes down to it being your idea and not mine (your brother was the same way)!  We've started working on adding a little.  You are understanding the concept and do use your fingers to count.  You said something to me the other day that reminded me so much of your brother.  You told me that 2 plus 3 was fine and then you said, "I learned that one in bed."  Your brother does a lot of math as he lays in his bed before falling asleep.  Maybe you'll be yet another mathematician in the family!  

You are starting to take a little more interest in coloring, drawing, and crafts in general.  Typically you aren't one to sit still long enough to do any of that.  But I'm seeing some improvements with coloring in the lines a little more and you like to paint and make things.  For instance you came downstairs the other day and said to me, "can you make me a mermaid costume?"  Uh...I wasn't sure what to say, your mom is not at all creative and cannot make things like that.  We ended up making a paper costume for one of your Barbies.  Sorry little girl, I wish I was crafty, but I'm just not there!  Maybe that is why coloring, drawing, etc isn't quite your cup of tea!

You are still my little tornado.  You are very good at entertaining yourself, but boy can you destroy a room in less than a minute.  You are also not a very good cleaner upper!  We are working on it!  It is amazing when it is time to clean up, you are always suddenly "too tired to clean."  Oh Nans! 

We are looking forward to this next month.  Our summer is just about done after this next month, makes me sad!  We've enjoyed this summer so far and we'll enjoy this next month too.  You love the pool, so hopefully we'll make it there quite a bit this next month!

Daddy and I love you so much Nans!!!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

6 years 9 months

Dear Drew,

It seems like I just completed your last monthly update.  Time is flying this summer.  We've been pretty busy.  Since my last update we've traveled to Colorado, you went to basketball camp, we went to the lake for the 4th and you just finished your Safety City Camp.  Wow!  Talk about one busy boy.

You absolutely love taking part in summer time camps.  You loved going to basketball camp.  You went with your friend Oliver and also knew several other kids at the camp.  It amazes me how comfortable you are in new situations.  You did Safety City with Avery this year and had a blast.  You  did the same class last year, but because it covers such great and important topics I signed you up again and you had no complaints about going again.  In fact, you said you want to go next year (it will be the last year you are eligible due to age and Anna will be able to go with you next year).    Last year you'd come home and ask lots of safety questions and you had some worries about bad weather, this year you seem to be much more mature about what you learned.

The past couple weeks you've had some friends over and you've gone to their houses too.  You just love your social time!  I love seeing you around your friends, you seem so old to me!  You have also developed a bit of an attitude and tone lately.  So we've been working on that.  You do feel remorse after treating me a little poorly, you are good about coming up and giving hugs and telling me that you love me!  You also start just about every morning with a hug.  You come up and snuggle with me when you get up, which I love!

This summer we've started having you use your clock in your room and most mornings if we don't have to be somewhere we tell you that you must stay in bed until 8:00.  You usually do a good job following the rule.  You are still doing a great job with your reading, writing, and math.  I had you summarize your book the other day and then had you write it in your journal.  I'm quite impressed with your comprehension of what you read.  I'm so lucky (and so are you) that things come so easily to you.  I see great things in your future!  Since you are so good at telling time and counting money, I've had to add some challenges.  I found a worksheet that give you some coins and then has a blank for a mystery coin and it also gives you a total, you have to figure out what the missing coin is.  Of course you mastered that instantly!!!  Smartie Pants!  I'm dreading you going back to school in the fall, but I am looking forward to you getting some new challenges, you are more than ready my little man!

We've been preparing for your baby brother and you are getting excited.  You love laying next to me and watching your brother dance in my belly.  I can't wait to see you with him, you are already such a good big brother to Anna, but since you two are close in age you fight quite a bit.  I think you and baby brother will have such a good relationship.  Your personality is so sweet and you'll love teaching him everything!

Daddy and I love you so much!!!!
Love,
Mom & Dad

Anna and the bump

Anna and I are buds.  She's always been my little shadow.  She loves to snuggle and lately she's been enjoying her snuggles with the bump (aka her little brother).  Not sure if all the love for the bump will  equate to love for her baby brother or jealousy when I'm holding that baby boy....or maybe a mix of the two.  I do love it when she talks to and kisses the bump, it is awfully cute!!!

kisses

I absolutely love this pic!  

30 Weeks

I can't believe I'm 30 weeks along in this pregnancy!  I have to say a 3rd pregnancy is so different from a 2nd and completely different from a first!  We've taken only a handful of belly pics this time around.  I'm pretty sure we took weekly ones from the moment I found out with the other two.  Sorry baby boy....it doesn't mean you aren't loved though!!!  You have a whole household ready to welcome you into this world.  Your big brother and sister are extremely excited to hold you (and so are your mom and dad).  Life is just busier and Drew and Anna keep us busy.  Can't imagine how crazy it will be come September with school is session and both kids in soccer, I guess this little guy is destined to be the one who goes with the flow...let's hope he lives up to those expectations!!!

I'm feeling pretty good other than I feel like a whale and have for quite some time.  I'm big!  I'm convinced pregnancy in your 30's is a different beast from pregnancy in your 20's.  Luckily, I'm  sleeping great.  But I have little time to sit back and complain, because I've got two active little kids that require my attention.  I'm still working out at Title Boxing and probably averaging 4-5 times a week.  I do modify quite a bit, but at least I'm active.

This little guy is an active one and I just love those kicks.  That is something I couldn't wait to experience again this time around.  I can see body parts move across my stomach and he often makes my stomach very lopsided.  Such a cool experience!!!  I'm savoring it because this is our last addition to our family.  When I think for a moment I want time to move a little faster, I remind myself of this!

We've made some big progress on getting ready for our little man this past month.  His room is painted, his furniture is in his room.  I've started washing blankets, burp cloths, and clothes.  I think it is becoming more and more real.

We haven't decided on a name yet.  We've got a very short list, but not sure when the final decision will be made.  I'd like to think before we reach the hospital...but who really knows!  We easily named Drew, struggled with Anna, but had her name before we went to the hospital, this time maybe we'll be even more relaxed.....he is the third.

Hoping the next 10 weeks go fast and slow at the same time.  I don't want to wish away my kids' summer and I'm dreading that Drew will be in school all day long and Anna will be gone 4 mornings a week.  I'm sure it will all work out great since I'll be busy with little baby boy, but it is so strange to think of all the changes ahead!

Notice anything different?

Mike is now without glasses!  He had eye surgery (SBK) at the end of May and he is loving the results and so am I .  I get to see those beautiful eyes!!!

Our Trip to Colorado

We left for Colorado on the evening of Wednesday, June 18th.  We left our house about 7:15 pm and stopped for the night in Goodland, KS.  We did the same thing that year and it seemed to work well for the kids and it allowed us to spend the majority of the day in Colorado on Thursday.  The kids did pretty well in the car.  They were both asleep around 9:30 and then we woke them up shortly after for a bathroom break.  They fell back to sleep here and there, but did struggle to get comfortable.  Anna cried and whined in her sleep for a bit, but did eventually fall back to sleep.   We saw plenty of beautiful lightning which was actually helpful, because it lit up the road, but when the hard rain started I wasn't a fan!  The rain did stop, but the wind started about 30 minutes from our destination.  We had never experienced wind like that before, but Mike got us to Goodland safe and sound about 1:30.  We all crashed and got a good night's sleep.  We got up the next morning and enjoyed our continental breakfast. Mikes' favorite part was the pancake machine and the kids just liked the variety of food they offered.

We then headed to Niwot to visit the Taylors!  The kids were not patient and wanted to be there right then and there!  We arrived about 3 or so hours later and had some lunch and got to play with our cousins!  We stayed for a couple hours and then headed to Estes Park to check into our hotel. We found the most perfect little (6 unit) motel.  You have to understand my issues with hotels/motels to appreciate how much I liked our place.  I'm one of those people that won't walk barefoot in a hotel (even the nice ones) and I'm not a fan of hotel beds, but this place I was very comfortable.  It was nice, very clean, roomy, and at a good location, we could walk to everything easily.  The only drawback was it wasn't on the side of the road that overlooked the river and it didn't really face the mountains either, but I'll be the first one to book it again next year!

After we check in and unpacked we headed across the street to check out the shops.  We had some dinner, some ice cream, and then we went on a little hike right by our hotel.

 daddy and Nans at dinner

 the guys looking at the river, quite an amazing site

love this picture, what a great site!

The next morning we got up and went out for breakfast at one of the little restaurant in town and then headed out for Rocky Mountain National Park.  We did quite a fit of hiking, I was rather impressed the kids did so well and I'm even more impressed that I hung in there, hiking in the mountains with the altitude change while pregnant is a bit different!  We saw so many beautiful sites and had so much fun.  We also took a drive to the very top of the mountain (which I could have done without).  I'm not a fan of driving on those narrow mountain roads, scary!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 After our long hike and drive up to the top of the mountains we headed back to the hotel to rest for a bit.  Then we went on a gondola ride in Estes Park and at the top we got off and got to feed chipmunks peanuts.  It was quite fun watching the little fat chipmunks take peanuts right from people.  Drew, Daddy, and I all got to feed them and Anna got scared every time a chipmunk came close.  

here we go!

kids thought the ride was great, I was less than impressed...it was very high!

That night we had a good dinner and got to bed, we were all tired after all the exercise we got.  The next morning we got up and waited for the Taylors to come to Estes Park.  We got breakfast with them and then the dads headed off for a ATV mountain ride.  While they had the times of their lives, us moms and the kids hung out around Estes.  We played at a little park for hours and then found some sand and created a sandbox which also kept the kids entrained for hours.  Julie and I were planning on taking the kids to do bumper cars, boats, or paddle boats, but they never once acted bored.  They had so much fun just playing with each other!

 

After the dads got back from their ATV rides we all went to dinner and then played a little longer around town before it was time for the Taylors to head back home.  We went to bed a little early that night so we'd be ready for  our long drive home!

 bye bye #3

Anna and Lucy were ready for the drive!

We made it home in just under 10 hours.  The kids did great and we are all looking forward to another trip to Colorado next summer hopefully.  We'll just have one more kiddo in tow then.  What great memories!!!