Levi is ONE!

September 30, 2014

Dear Buster Pants,

How did we even get to this post?  I am just in awe at how fabulous and fast the last year has been.  I was so nervous about bringing a boy home from the hospital, and even asked Daddy "are you sure?" when he announced your arrival but I think we are made for each other.  You usually make it pretty easy for this mommy and I hope you always, always want to cuddle with me and never stop giving me kisses.  And your smile!  I can't contain my own grin and the love I feel for you when you flash your smile...which is often!

Here are your stats quick:
Weight 25.7 pounds - 86th percentile
Height 31inches - 85th percentile
Head circumference 19 inches - 93rd percentile

In the middle of September, your teachers started the 3 week transition from the infant room to the first steps room.  You were the first of the fall babies to move up because you were getting to be a little too much in the baby room.  I.e. you are a walking machine and starting to get, let's see, aggressive with the babies.  Not mean, just a little too touchy, exploring faces and wanting the little ones to play more.  Make sense?  Actually, I think the ultimate deciding factor was when you discovered that you could push the cribs.  The teachers were not a fan of that!  So, you started visiting the room next door for 30 minutes a day, increasing by 30 minutes over the course of 3 weeks.  Lucky for you (us), Ms. La Dawn who was your original teacher in the infant room is now the teacher in the room next door.  Yay!  Easy transition.  When I say easy, Ms. Jessica, Ms. Jennifer, and Ms. Kim were a little sad that you didn't seem to miss them at all.  Actually, they say you would throw a fit when your daily alloted time was up.  You would hang out next to the classroom door and try to leave whenever someone came in, or take an adults hand and sneak out with them.  One day they said you were even pounding on the door and grunting making it known you wanted to go back and play with the older kids.  You are still struggling a bit with just one nap a day, but your bedtime has moved up at night and is much more consistent, so I don't think you are getting less sleep overall.  You love going outside with your new class but are still adjusting to lunch with them.

 

One thing I've been surprised with and super pleased about is your love for books.  Your big sisters did not have the same attention span or desire to read books.  I mostly attribute this to having your big sisters though.  They like to read now and as the little brother, you are often asked to sit with us so I think it's learned.  Keep it up buddy!  I love reading to you and I adore when your little fingers point to pictures in books.  It almost looks like you are reading!

 

You have had a snotty nose a lot this month.  Perhaps teething, though you still only have 8 teeth, so maybe it is the change in the seasons....or being exposed to new friends at school.  You also had hand, foot, and mouth this month which was awful.  I think it could have been a lot worse since you never had a fever and didn't act like the sores bothered you.  But, it was not pleasant to look at.  In a lot of these photos you will see the sores on your face and your hands.  Poor baby!

 

 

The tooth brush!  You love having a toothbrush in your mouth!

 

I think it feels good on your teeth since although you haven't acquired any new ones, we can tell they are working their way into your gummy mouth.  Soon!

 

 

When we say "How big is Levi?" you immediately raise both your hands over your head and we say "so big!".  And, you know where your nose is and how to give kisses.  Such a cute boy!  You also like to wave at everyone.  If we say bye bye, you start waving.

You are a full time walker now!  It didn't take you long to figure that out and I'd say it's a little tricker around the house with you always either at my feet, or getting into trouble somewhere I can't see you.  We keep the bathroom and laundry doors closed, and we have to try and keep markers or crafting projects out of your reach.  This one is really hard for your sisters to remember!  We have found you with an open marker in your mouth a time or two.  Oops.

 

Still no real words but a lot of pointing and grunting.  I'd say you know how to get what you want.  For sure you know how to get Mommy's attention, "mamamamama".  And, even if you don't speak with words, you understand a lot of what we say and can follow simple instructions.

 

We've seen a few tantrums here and there.  Cute...and not cute.  Mostly they are a result of your sisters, you know, they take away a book or other toy that you have claimed.  Sorry Buster, but I think that's going to happen a quite a bit in the future.  They love you, but they don't always like to share their dollies, blankies, or mommy.

 

You are sleeping pretty well and I suspect it will continue to get even better now that you are no longer nursing.  I really want to move you out of my bedroom now, but there changes ahead for our family and I think we'll just wait until everything settles down for good.  Besides, like I've said before, I like having you close since Daddy travels so much these days.

 

You are still eating pretty well and mostly just eat whatever we eat which is nice.  Our meal times don't always agree with your hunger pains, but a snack in the shape of fruit will often tide you over between meals.  You love cuties!  We love them too since they are so easy to peel for you and make the perfect size snack for our hungry boy.

 

You have not been a fan of sippy cups and giving up your bottles has been harder than expected.  Mommy quit nursing you pretty much the day you turned one and that wasn't a huge deal.  Well, not a huge deal for you but Mommy was an emotional mess.  Not sure why I decided to do that when Daddy was out of town...bad decision for me!  But, we survived and nursing is now a thing of the past for both of us.  We switched over to 2% milk (just until we remember to start buying whole milk) as soon as the frozen breastmilk was gone and you seem to be doing fine with that.

 

You like to imitate us too!  We can get you to do some silly things and we usually all end up laughing.  You especially like to stick your tongue out and make farting noises.

 

You love to play!  Playing is such a big thing for your right now.  Lots of toys and messes at our house.  Some favorites continue to be cars and balls - all boy!

 

You also love using a spoon.  Well, at least acting like you know how to use a spoon.  What a messy eater!  But, we just go with it and sweep/mop the floor lots and lots.  I keep thinking it's just a learning process that we have to hit at some point.  And, it's much easier for me when you feed yourself while I handle your sisters.  Daddy is gone all the time so it's often a one person show for dinner preparation and clean up.

 

Buster Pants, we sure have loved you being part of our family even if it has made us all a little crazier.  One of these days (weeks/months/years?) perhaps we'll get our act together and look like organized and like a real deal family.  Maybe?  In meantime, I love the silliness and sweetness you have brought into my life!

 

Love,

Mommy

The ways of boys

I know I've had a lot of Levi posts lately, but he is at such a fun stage.  And, I still claim to be learning the ropes of "mommy to a boy".  It still amazes me some of the things he will do that the girls never tried.  Yes, they would stand on their reading chairs, but I don't recall them ever purposely turning them on their side to then just stand on it for several minutes.  Sort of like claiming his territory!  And, don't get me started with that silly straw in his mouth.  If it's not a straw that he wants to walk around with, it's likely a toothbrush.  He LOVES having a toothbrush in his mouth.  It makes me nervous when he insists on walking around with it, but I do appreciate that he attempting good dental hygiene.

Levi's Cozy Coupe

He has now claimed this garage toy as HIS.  As in he does not want to share and has no problems throwing a fit if a big sister in occupying the driving seat.

 

 

He even has the steering wheel figured out and will turn it both ways, accompanied with a distinct "vrrromm" sound.  Boys!

 

This may have been one of my best garage sale purchases ever!  Only $5 when Lesley about a year old.  Score for the Carlin's!

 

I also appreciate that he is able to get into the car on his own.  He has yet to master going forward but that's okay.  It's easy for me to keep track of him when I know he can only go in reverse.

 

But really, who wants to argue with that smile....of course you can have it little brother!

Math skills

I made this educational game for the girls and it has been a hit.

 

I saved all sorts of tops to plastic bottles and wrote numbers and math signs on them.

Now, we can practice her addition and subtraction really easily.  It's fun for mommy to come up with challenging formulas and see how well Lesley can do.  We did realize we needed more numbers to we could build new combinations - we kept ending up with the same equations!  So, the jar has been put in the pantry for a bit while we gather more tops.

Feeding the Babies

Jason and I think that Leah is going to be the absolute best stay at home mommy to 10 kids, with a spotless house.  She will combine her love for babies and cleaning and be amazing.

 

She takes such good care of her babies, always feeding them and making sure they are wrapped up to stay warm.

 

She will sit off to the side and feed her babies for a long time.  I thinks he watched Mommy feed little brother quite a bit over the last year.

 

 

She even recruited her sister to help feed the babies and sit with her.

 

Even from when she was just a year old, she loved baby dolls and now three years later she still does.  What a great mama!  It must be instinct for her!

Special Visitors

Earlier in September, Cousin Austin and Ashley came to Tulsa to visit us and go to the Oklahoma State football game when the team played Austin's alma mater, the Missouri State Bears.

 

We were so thankful they stayed at our house for two nights!  It was a lot of fun to see them!

 

 

There were a few games of leap frog.

 

And, twister too....at least Ashley's baby belly isn't too big yet!

 

And, reading lots of books.

 

Our kids love these two and we were grateful that they visited us.  And, Daddy was thankful that Austin got an extra ticket to the football and tagged along to watch the Cowboys and Bears fight it out.  He had a fun day and overall, we had a fantastic weekend with them.

Levi loves being outside!

Levi loves being outside!  Back in September, we enjoyed some really great weather and spent a lot of evenings outside. 

 

It's fun to watch him explore and get excited about all the new things he has found.

 

 

And, of course he likes when Daddy helps him on the playset and lets him slide down.

 

He loves it and giggles and giggles!  For as cute as it is to watch, it's even cuter to listen to.

 

And, some snuggles for mommy too.

 

Then mommy showed him how to kick the ball which was also super fun and resulted in more laughs.  I can already tell that this little boy is going to be a handful next summer.  He's pretty mobile right now, but still needs constant supervision since he's a little unstable on his feet.  I'm guessing by spring he will be running circles around all of us when we play outside.

The magnets

When I need Buster to stay occupied while I'm cooking in the kitchen, this has started to be a good option.  He is so heavy and it's quite difficult to get a meal put together if I have to try and hold him.  So, I will plop him down on a stool right front of the refrigerater and he will mostly stay occupied.  I find myself stepping on magnets, kicking magnets, and picking up magnets more and more these days.

The Leap Frog letter "game" has come in handy for Lesley too.  She is practicing her sounds and Mommy isn't great at knowing what individual sounds are on demand, so we have used the letter magnets.

Camping Carlin Style

We had grand plans to go camping with friends over Labor Day weekend.  They were friends from KC who found a place sort of between our houses that we could meet.  It had a lake, and trails....lots of entertaining options for the kids.  We even got reservations since we weren't sure how busy it might be over the holiday weekend.  But, then their dog they had just adopted got sick...and she would only take the necessary medicine from one person.  This meant our friends couldn't go and we were all so sad.  We thought we might go without them, but then decided to reschedule and find a place closer to home....then Levi got sick so it was all a wash.

 

Big bummer!!!!  I was really, really looking forward to camping!

 

But Daddy agreed to set the tent up in the backyard and sleep outside with the girls.  I'm so thankful for his willingness.  I wanted to camp, but not with a sick baby.  Poor Levi.

 

They were all excited to get things organized and ready.  Camping is new to the kids so it was a learning experience.  Perhaps a good thing we started out in the backyard.  We had a few discussions about "make sure to zip the tent shut when you get in or out....or you will be sleeping with bugs!"

 

I found what looked to be a cool recipe to make on the campfire.  Bananas in foil with marshmallows and chocolate chips.  They were gross.  Mushy, WARM bananas - what a terrible idea and a waste of a banana.  Mommy fail for thinking that would be tasty.

 

We did cook outside, eat outside, and even have a fire pit.

 

It was almost like camping.....

 

Levi tolerated our efforts and happy to sit on the blanket with his balls and pacifier.

 

We even had a playset AT our campsite.  Not many campground can do that for you, right?

 

Daddy was in charge of the campfire and making s'mores.  Much better than the warm bananas!

 

Again, not exactly camping, but we did cook and eat outside several times that weekend.

 

I don't think they ever actually napped, which is fine, but they were cozy with their books.

 

Lesley even found Amelia Bedelia Go Camping, one of my favorites!

 

Of course the flashlights were the hit of the night!

 

Leah camped one night and then spent the second night in her bed.

 

The girls had so much fun camping in the backyard, they keep begging to go camping for real.  I am not sure we can make it happen yet this season, but for sure it will be on our agenda for next year.

School Bus Stop Snapshots

Thought I'd post some pictures from my phone that depict how we spend our mornings at the school bus stop.  It's always an adventure!

 

Lesley has become good buddies with a 1st grader, Fabian.  They sit next to each other on the bus and appear to look out for one another.  Lesley reminds him that he has to get in the car line on Wednesdays since his mom picks him up for tutoring, and Fabian is always sure to help her up the steps if needed.  He is sweet and he makes Lesley feel so comfortable with the bus process.

 

Lesley also likes to sit with her friend Emily who gets on the bus a few stops before Lesley and then gets off a few stops before Lesley in the evenings.  Basically if you are the first one on the bus, you are the first one off the bus.  Sometimes all three of them sit together.

 

 

Leah and Issac (Fabian's little brother) are the rolly polly experts and can always find enough to put in the bottom of a bowl.  Leah takes them to school to show her friends.  I'm assuming Ms. Madison dumps them out before they go inside for centers.  And, I actually made her start using a water bottle, there is less chance they escape from that than the bowl.  I don't want rolly pollies in my car!

 

 

Ready for Day 2!

 

 

 

 This was Day 1, waiting with Brock and his brothers.  We ultimately moved the bus stop from side of the street to the other due to the construction on the corner.  Apparently the house we now wait in front of complained at some point in the past, but they have moved out.  The other moms agree that a driveway is safer than the construction zone on the opposite side.

 

 

Fabian didn't ride the bus the first day.  His mom took him to school.  I kept going back and forth if I should take her the first day, or first week, but ultimately decided that it might be best for her to get into the bus routine right away.  I assumed the drivers and the school helpers would be most diligent those first few days to ensure the kids were where they needed to be.

 

And, I think it actually helped a lot with my nerves and hers too.  I didn't cry so she didn't cry.

 

 

Leah has been such a good sport at the bus stop.  Some days we walk to the corner, and some days we jump in the car and drive down.  It's not because I'm lazy, but I've learned if I can get Leah and Levi ready at the same time, we can leave straight from the bus stop and get to their school earlier.  It makes a huge difference for what time I get back to my desk and logged in to my computer.  There have also been a few days when it's raining so we drive down.  No fun waiting in the rain!

 

That first day, Leah was full of questions:

 

Where is she going?

 Why is there a boy bus driver and not a girl?

Can I ride the bus to my school?

 

 

Levi is not always as patient.  I started out with the stroller, but then just started carrying him when we walked down...until I decided he is just too heavy and squirmy for that.  We then started taking the wagon so Leah and Levi could both ride.  That is probably my favorite way to go to the bus stop.

 

Levi gets really big eyes when the bus is headed our way and just stares and stares.  Now that Levi has perfected waving, he often waves as the bus drives away.

 

And, now a just a few more photos from my phone from the first day of school.  Leah took the one of Lesley and Mommy.  Not awesome, but not too bad.

 

 

 

 

We've got a good routine in place!