Levi {14 months}

Oh Buster Pants!

I feel like you are well into your toddler year(s) now...no more little baby boy at our house!  14 months old now and changing every day!

Why do I say that?  Well, here's just a few reasons:

1.)  Tantrums - yes, yes you are starting to throw tantrums and it truly makes me giggle.  It's so hard to be 14 months old and not get what you want, right at this very moment, isn't it little guy?  You might have a tantrum if you don't get food fast enough, if we take away a toy you were playing with (for good reason of course), if I lock you out of the bathroom or laundry room or really any room you are causing problems in, if you don't get the same treatment as your sisters and you think you should, if you don't get to go outside when you really, really, really want to, or any number of things.

2.)  Expressions - still not many words, but you are most definitely expressing your feelings more and more every day.  You can sign "more" and "please" and use those for just about anything especially at the dinner table.  I also tried to teach you "thank you" but I really think it just means giving kisses in your little world.  I'll take it!  Mommy will never get tired of you blowing kisses to her!  We can ask you questions and you will shake your head yes or no, which is very helpful at times.  The phrase "uh-oh" is heard lots and lots around the house and in the car.  "More" is also a common expression out of your mouth.  And, perhaps my favorite is when you are eating and you saying "yummm" or "mmmm" with the best grin ever.

 

Our Thanksgiving pie would not cook fast enough for your liking.

3.)  Food preferences - you are a fan of oatmeal these days which is a great alternative to Kix for breakfast.  The only issue is that we have to feed you and this mama doesn't always have time to sit and feed you in the mornings.  You currently have an aversion to most meats, just not your thing.  Still love applesauce, BANANAS (favorite!!!! you eat them like a real person, holding onto the peel!), sweet potatoes, cheese, broccoli, cooked carrots and peas, macaroni, and all things that resemble bread.  You are doing better with the bottles and not demanding them as often, but we still find it comforts you in the morning and in the early evenings.  Thankfully you will also drink cold milk from a sippy cup usually with no complaints.  Also, when eating, you really like to have utensils and try to feed yourself.  It's kind of annoying and super messy, but you are actually getting pretty good at it.  In the long run, I think this will be super helpful and great.  One of our FAVORITE habits at dinner time is how you pray with us.  LOVE it so much!  We all do the sign of the cross and you immediately put your hands together to pray too.  So so sweet.  Typically you don't last the entire pray and start digging into your food, but it's still so great to see you in the habit already.  And, as a side note, if you weren't so anxious to eat and we didn't need you to stay occupied while we get the last things on the table, we wouldn't even put food on your tray before praying, but it is what it is.

 

4.)  All things boy - we realize that gender does not necessarily define behavior or personality traits, but we for sure see differences between you and your sisters.  You are aggressive and persistent.  You are a brute and don't hesitate to use your strength.  You like to throw things, you like to hit things, and you like to stand on things!  Sometimes I call you my monkey boy because you are climbing on everything testing limits.  We often have to put chairs or toys in "time out" because once you get it in your head that you want to stand on XYZ, you do not give up.  Leah is our little hall monitor and makes sure we know when you are climbing, and I even saw her putting the rocking chair high up on the table one night since you wouldn't stop standing on it.  Daredevil you are!  Again, all things that can be either boy or girl, but we for sure did not deal with these behaviors with your sisters.  And, you loves cars and trains, and you always add the "vroom" sounds when you are playing with them.  We already see sports in your future - maybe soccer or hockey (Aunt Aimee's request!).  Daddy says no to football and yes to golf, but we'll see if he changes his mind.  No matter what, I think Daddy will be your biggest fan in whatever you might choose.

5.)  Sleeping schedule - Finally, I think you have transitioned to one nap a day and doing well with it.  It took a little time, and I felt like we were rushing you in order to meet the schedule at your school but now that we have survived the transition period, I'm super happy with the routine.  One nap a day, as soon as you finish eating lunch, and sometimes even before lunch.  You'll sleep for a solid 2 hours, and wake up happy (and HUNGRY if you happened to go down before lunch).  Then, you are pretty content and happy all afternoon and ready for bed between 7:30-8pm, though sometimes a little later.  Bedtime with is pretty easy now since you are ready to sleep.  We're still trying to wean out the bottles, but generally you get one at any point between 6-7:30pm.  Then, when you start rubbing your eyes, we get your jammies on, snuggle a bit, grab your pacifier and your blanket and lay you down in your pack n play.  Most of the time, you chatter a bit before falling asleep, but it's pretty rare that you cry.  Sometimes you need an extra snuggle or hug, but nothing that Mommy doesn't secretly love.  We do brush your teeth when we can find your toothbrush, and some nights you get a bath/shower too.  The nights when your sisters are ready for bed before you are also great.  You love to help get them settled, blow them kisses and wave night night.  And, some nights you will absolutely not go to sleep until you know the big sisters are also in bed.

That's just a glimpse of your 14 month old little self.  Sweet and perfect in every way!

Love,
Mommy

Buster and Leah

 

These two are pretty good friends!  She is always, always looking out for him and being his little mommy.  And, he doesn't miss a chance to blow her a kiss or give her a hug...or tackle her.

 

She is very patient with him and I love when she asks him a question with a "Yes or no?" at the end.  I think this was the start of him being able to shake his head yes or no when we ask him simple questions.  Good work Leah!

Moving Week(end)

Our moving was a little up in the air while we waited on the bank to pick an exact closing date.  It got moved a few times and in the end we closed on the new house about a week and a half later than originally planned.  It was really just in the nick of time since we had unenrolled the kids from school, arranged for the moving truck, and everything else involved in moving (it's a lot!  it's overwhelming!  and Jason handled most of it!!!!)

 

Thankfully we had been packing boxes and preparing for several weeks so we could be ready to go.  And, Daddy arranged for a few of his friends to help with the heavy lifting and loading of the truck.  I did what I could but with 3 kids in a house that doesn't really feel like home, that's difficult.

 

One of his friends could come, but needed to bring his son since his wife was busy.  Sure, no problem, another kiddo is no problem.

 

Levi and Linus entertained Sean Patrick.

 

I know it looks like they are tormenting Linus, but I always tell myself that Linus is a cat and he can run and hide if he doesn't like it.

 

I mostly felt bad for Sean Patrick and all the cat hair he ended up with on his clothes and in his mouth.  We are used to it with Levi, but I had hoped Sean Patrick's mommy wouldn't be upset when he got home.

 

We started loading on Thursday late afternoon, into the night and then finished on Friday afternoon.  The kids ended up getting sick Thursday night and the girls threw up in our bedroom.  We had taken the beds down so we were having a slumber party on our floor.  Lesley even missed her last day of school!  So sad!  Poor girl had stopped throwing up but was then having other "issues".  By mid day, she felt better so Jason took her in to say one last good-bye to her teachers and friends.

 

The realtor stopped by to put up the for sale sign, we had the carpets cleaned that afternoon, and did one last scrub down.

 

We even had to rent another trailer for some of things that didn't fit in the moving truck.  We were quite the sight that Friday night when we pulled away from the house.  A gigantic U-haul, a Yukon with a trailer, a crying mommy (I loved that house and will miss it!), and 3 tired kids.  We had ordered pizza for delivery and ate in the laundry room - there was no way we wanted the kids to eat on the living room floor after the carpets had been cleaned! 

 

We pulled out about 8pm and drove as far as Joplin, and stayed in a hotel.  It was the best decision because the kids slept in the car and Mommy could kind of decompress and process the changes ahead.  Plus, getting those few hours on our journey proved helpful for the next day when we drove first to KC to have lunch with Grandma Cheryl and take a break, then to Ames, IA to meet up for an early dinner with Cousin Katie (needed to give that baby bump a squeeze!), and then the rest of the way to our new home.

 

The kids were fantastic in the car!  Linus rode with Daddy in the U-haul and he said that was fun.  Levi took several naps that day and though the girls didn't sleep much, they entertained themselves pretty well.  They watched a few movies, colored, read books, played some car games, etc.  We are fortunate that we have kids who travel well, or maybe they travel so well because they are somewhat trained.  Either way, the trip was long and slow, but it was better than I anticipated.

 

We got to the new house at the same time my parents and brother showed up to help.  They had brought a small load of things we were storing at their house and we quickly unloaded that, plus a few things from the U-haul.  It was already dark, and it was raining and cold, but we got a little start.  After a quick night in a hotel, the rest of the unpacking came the next day.  Daddy recruited a few friends, and Andy even recruited a college friend who lived in town.  It went fast!

 

As you can guess, Levi was not a good helper so he ended up in the clip on chair on the counter.  That worked so well to keep him in one place and occupied!

 

The girls did what they could and were excited to get a job they could handle every once in a while.

 

See, Buster Pants was not a great helper.  I told him to put the tupperware in the drawer but for some reason most of it ended up on the floor.  :(

 

So, he tried a different job...only problem is he couldn't quite reach the utensil drawer.

Our family in front of our new house!

 

It was foreclosed home and needs plenty of work and updates, but it's livable for now (until we sell our home in Tulsa!).  We have a LONG list of changes we want to make, but the big stuff is in great condition.  With some deep cleaning (carpets), painting (inside and out), polishing (wood floors), new fixtures & appliances, and a renovated basement, it will be perfect for us.  It will take some time to get everything the way we want it, but that's okay.  Patience is something we all need to work on, right?

My Levi

These are all BLURRY with terrible lighting taken on my phone, but they are Levi.  He is the sweetest boy - so happy and lovable.  These were taken shortly after we moved to the new house and I'm sure I was on the couch feeling crappy since that's how I spent the first 5 days being in Minnesota.  I even lost my voice for about a day and a half...the house was so quiet when mama wasn't talking.  Everyone was walking around whispering to each other and I kind of loved it.

 

But you better believe that even with the sinus infection and terrible sore throat, this little guy cheered me up pretty easily.  How could that grin, with the teeth showing and round belly not make you smile!  I also love how you can see that his hair is growing around his ears.  We are no where near a first haircut, but that's a lot compared to this time last year.  :)

 

I hope he stays this happy, smiley and giggly his entire life!

Ready for the Minnesota winter!

One of our first stops when we got here was to get winter gear.  We needed it since it snowed the 2nd day here!

 

Leah is going to be our little winter child since she has loved going out to play.  She is daddy's little helper with scooping the driveway and will go out on the back deck and play by herself for quite a while in the cold and snow.

 

Lesley is more like her mommy and prefers staying warm inside the house with something hot to drink!  We haven't given Levi much of a chance to go out yet since I had been sick, then the snow mostly melted.  But, he has the cutest little snow boots and ski pants.

 

It was been hard to get the kids to wear their hats and mittens though.  They just don't understand how cold it is.  And, it's quite the process to get into the carseats.  The kids don't wear their heavy coats when strapped in, but it's frustrating trying to get them to put their coats on before we get out of the car.  I guess we'll learn, and I've been trying to watch other families when we are at stores or church, but no one else seems to struggle like us.  Perhaps their kids are just used to it and ours have yet to realize that hats, mittens, and HEAVY coats are necessary!

Moving north

What a year it has been for our family!  Jason left his job in Tulsa, did some consulting work for several months requiring travel for many weeks, and then took a new job in the Minneapolis area in late September.  We enjoyed our time in Tulsa but it honestly never felt like home and were excited for the job opportunity in Minnesota and a chance to move our family again. 

 

That being said, the decision to move was not easy and the entire process was not as quick as it seemed to many people.  Jason was first contacted in June about the job but held off officially interviewing until late August.  He visited the office and discussed the job requirements and company in great detail with the hiring manager, the team, and even an old co-worker who now works for company.  With the kids, we wanted to be really sure it was going to work out before deciding to uproot and move again.  And, we couldn't "spread the word" too quickly since we had to be careful about the timing due to Jason's work commitments and helping the kids to understand.  Ultimately, we think the job will be a fantastic fit for Jason and the area will be awesome to raise our family and stick around for a LONG time.  No more moving for us please! 

 

So, in mid October, Jason and I met in Minneapolis to go house hunting and thankfully found a great house.  We wanted to close quickly so we could have the whole family living together again and move north before winter set in.  It was a foreclosed house so the bank was willing to finish the deal as quickly as possible.  We still ran into some delays, but ultimately packed up and headed out of Tulsa the weekend before Thanksgiving.

 

 

We decided to do the packing and moving by ourselves to save money.  It is very costly to hire movers and though we had a moving "bonus", we wanted to keep that money for the actual closing costs.  Also, we didn't list our Tulsa home on the market until after we left (it's still for sale!) so we were/are in a cost savings mode now!

 

The kids rode in the Yukon with me, pulling a trailer with some of our things while Jason drove the big truck with his passenger, Linus.  We still didn't get all of our things, but I was impressed with the packing skills of our friend Nic.  It was like a big game of Tetras!

 

We left town Friday night and drove to Joplin the first night.  It was actually a good distance for that first night and we stayed in a nice Marriott property.  Yeah free hotel rooms with points!

 

 

We took off the next morning and all the kids were in good moods.  Levi is such a good little traveler and even volunteered to drive the Yukon for me.

 

 

"I can do it mom!  Really!"

 

We stopped in KC for brunch/lunch with Grandma Cheryl and then headed north.  The girls didn't really nap at all and were getting squirmy as we reached Des Moines.  So, I called up my cousin Katie and she met us for an early dinner in Ames.  It was great to see her, get out and stretch out legs, and even rub her baby belly.  The girls were excited to see "the bump"!  Then we were off for the last leg of the journey!  The girls finally settled down for a nap and it was a pretty smooth ride all the way to the house.

 

Grandma Nancy, Papa Keith, and Uncle Andy met us at the house and we unloaded a little that night.  It was cold and rainy, but a good start.  We then headed to a hotel room for the night and finished unloading the next morning.  Jason also had a co-worker and a college friend help, and Uncle Andy even recruited one of his college friends to assist.  We were thankful for the help and the trucks were emptied pretty quickly.

 

 

 

Our family in front of the new house!  We are excited!

 

Levi's favorite part was Papa of course.  He seriously loves Papa and his hats.

 

 

Best buddies!  Maybe Levi isn't so upset he's the only boy in the family so far.  Comes with perks!  Extra love and snuggles with Papa! 

Lesley's Thanksgiving feast

Lesley had her Thanksgiving feast at school the week before the holiday.  All the parents were invited to join and everyone was asked to bring something specific to share with the class.  We had an easy one - apple juice!  The kids made Indian headdresses or pilgrim hats, sang some songs, and had their little "feast" complete with a homemade place mat with things they are each thankful for.

 

 

Lesley never really looked at us while singing her songs.  But, she seemed to really enjoy the songs and sharing with everyone.

 

 

They had waffle cones as their cornucopias filled with popcorn, pretzels, and candy.  Probably not exactly what the Pilgrims ate, but close enough.

 

 

She really learned a lot about the origination of Thanksgiving telling us all about the Mayflower and the first feast of the Indians and Pilgrims.  It was fun to have her learn history!

 

 

 

We also wanted to get a few photos of her with Mrs. Gorham and Mrs. French.  This was her last week of school in Bixby and we loved her teacher and classroom so much.  They were fantastic and really great at challenging Lesley.  We are thankful for the time she spent in this kindergarten classroom and hopeful that her new classroom is just as fantastic!