Allison's second bottom tooth popped through a couple of days ago. Strangely, they seem a bit discolored in spots- I'm afraid she might have Nathan's weak enamel. I'm hoping it's too early to tell, though!!
She is rolling all over the place. She can almost get wherever she wants to go by rolling, but will occasionally get herself stuck under a chair or something. She loves toys, and will play happily on her tummy for a long time (sometimes after 20 minutes go by I'll realize I'd sort of "forgotten" about her!)
She's also starting to sit up- she can sit for a couple of minutes before wobbling and falling to one side. The boppy or pillows around her protect her pretty well!
She is also pushing up onto her hands and knees- crawling, here we come!! She's definitely moving way more and earlier than either of my boys.
Her naps are still not exact, but she'll often sleep in from 6am-9am after her first feeding, and then take one more nap in the early afternoon. Usually that's a longer one as well, but sometimes it'll be shorter and she'll take a third nap in the early evening (like 4:30-5:30 or so). I'm loving her long 3-hour afternoon nap today though- she didn't nap this morning until we got in the car at 9am and then it was a 15-minute nap.
I can't wait to put her in her little green Christmas dress and take photos with the kids for our Christmas cards. I'm wondering if maybe we'll put the tree up earlier than Thanksgiving weekend this year...

Nathan is into drawing and writing all the time. He's been like this for weeks now, it's really fun. Right now he's filling up a paper with 3-letter words, so he's coming to me for a new word every minute or two. I ran out of ones on my own, so I found this page and am picking out words he knows from the list.

Nathan was lying on the little activity mat with Allison, and I picked her up as Blake also descended on the mat. Nathan said, "Hey- I wanted to keep snuggling with her!"
Then, I was upstairs, trying to take 5 minutes to get dressed- and Nathan said, from downstairs, "Mom, Blake's washing his hands!" I said, "That's ok" hoping to buy myself a minute more of peace to get dressed. Then I thought again and decided it better to check that there wasn't soap all over the bathroom or something. Thankfully it was okay, but that Blake gets into things I'd never expect. He was asking for toothpaste (sounds like "tsa tsa") and brushing with his downstairs toothbrush and water. Harmless, thankfully!

Allison's first tooth (her bottom front right) came all the way in two days ago. It was three late nights for her, but by the time I got her to sleep (usually by 9, after spending some extra time up with us or nursing) she slept the whole night through. So that wasn't so bad. But her second seems to be close too, and last night was another later night. Maybe she's getting overtired, though, since she seems a bit tired by 6:15 or so, but I don't get her in bed until at least 7 with the boys- so I'll have to pay more attention! It gets harder to give them good nap/sleep schedules with three, that's for sure.
Yesterday morning I had to wake her again to get Nathan from preschool. That stunk. Plus, Blake was crabby with a cough and probably would have napped early. Instead, I had to drag them both in the car (Blake crying for part) to get Nathan. I wish we could have just stayed home. Another reason to strongly consider homeschooling, I guess. But Nathan does love preschool and is starting to talk about his friends in the class and know their names. Today my mom is watching the little two while I take Nathan to his class Halloween party. Should be fun, and I get to focus just on him- I'm looking forward to that.

After a few nights of not-so-great sleep, and Allison about to get her first tooth on the bottom which has kept her up until 9pm the past couple of nights, I finally slept a lot last night. I went to sleep with Allison in our bed around 8:30, and slept through (with 3 wakeups or so from various child issues) until 7am! Nathan slept in until 8, and Allison went back to sleep after her 7am feeding until almost 10am! These colds and now coughs, and Allison's teething must be really tiring them out. Today was a pajama day until the afternoon when I ran out to a store with the kids. The double stroller from Craigslist (side-by-side Maclaren) was the best baby related purchase for us. It's so great to have the two little ones contained, and there's enough room in the bottom of the stroller for a short shopping trip.
Allison went down around 6:30 tonight but was just up from 7:45 until 8:30, probably in part from the teething. That tooth is right under the gum- I thought it would have popped through yesterday, but it's still just under there. Blake's coughing a lot too so I'm hoping it won't be too tough of a night.

Blake and Allison have minor runny noses and little colds; it's Allison's first. She had a rough time going to sleep tonight, so I nursed her awhile in my bed and took a "nap" myself. Then, I put her in her bed after the boys were in bed (yay Tim!) and the downstairs was picked up and kitchen cleaned! Woohoo! Go hubby! Anyway, when I put Allison in her bed it took a couple more visits over an hour to finally get her to sleep, with her bed mattress raised on one end and the humidifier going. Two days ago the leaves all changed into vibrant fall colors, and today it felt like winter b/c of the rain being stuck inside all day. I did take them all to Costco and was able to prop Allison up in the cart- she loved it. She just played with her little toy and was happy the whole trip. So cute. Plus, my sister-in-law and CJ came with so she was a big help juggling the kids. We had almost no food in the house- it's so hard to get out with all three kids, that I hadn't gone grocery shopping in over a week (oh yeah, since the big Dominick's trip last week).
Allison is our super baby. She was rough those first 6 weeks, but after she started sleeping at 8 weeks and stopped crying in the car so much, she's been like "the perfect baby." We can't complain at all. She sleeps better than the boys lately!
Speaking of sleep, Blake has been waking up once a night or so, usually with a full/leaky diaper, so I haven't been getting that great of sleep. Hence the late evening nap tonight. But, he's also been really clingy, ever since starting preschool- so after talking about it with Tim, we decided to pull him out. This past week was the first he didn't go. I am hoping the extra mommy time (which I was spending caring for Allison mostly anyway) will help him be less clingy. Thursdays I also go to my church bible study, so he gets some playtime with other kids then too. So he won't be missing out as much- I think the class of approximately 14 two-year olds, where he was one of the youngest with a July b-day, was a bit much for him. The teachers were so understanding and nice about it, and one even said it was good I noticed his extra clingy-ness and was doing what's best for him. Nathan still LOVES the school so we might even consider having him go an extra day in the Spring to prepare for kindergarten next year (if we do public school). Homeschooling isn't off the table yet, and we want to go to the local school and talk with the teacher and such, but it would be a lot of extra effort on my part to find a coop or something (which I hear there's one nearby, so we'll see) and have a regular group of other kids and parents we can get together with. He'll also be at church on weekends, but somehow it's just not the same since it's only an hour and a half.

Allison is 18 lbs., 5 oz. and 27 1/2" long. Her last appointment (at 3 months) also said she was 27 1/2" long. Hmmm... measuring error, I'm sure- as I look back, going from 22" at birth to 27" at 3 months is more than an inch a month! She was probably more like 25 1/2" at 3 months.
Anyway, her head circumference is 42.5cm.


She also had the second dose of a combined vaccine of HiB and DTaP, since that type of influenza (type B, I think) causes meningitis, and Pertussis (whooping cough) is going around our community. She didn't even cry when pricked! She was just quiet, and then after a couple seconds, actually smiled at the nurse!!!!!

I took all three kids to the grocery store (Dominick's) this morning.  Not sure I'll do that again soon... it's so tiring!  Thankfully it went smoothly; I paid $1 to use their car cart with video inside... the video part was probably unnecessary since Blake doesn't care to watch much anyway. Other places (Jewel, Target) have carts with extra seats or that are like a car in front of the cart, but here you had to pay to "rent" it! But it gave them a place to sit and space for groceries, so it was worth the buck for my sanity. Plus, I got a carry-out which is always nice. :)  Allison was in the wrap (most of the reason it was tiring!) so it's always a challenge to look at my list, read labels, and put stuff in the cart with an almost 20-lb. baby hanging on my front. At least it kept her happy. As soon as she can sit up in the front (I'm considering trying to prop her up with blankets or something) it'll make things a lot easier, for small grocery trips at least (Blake can sit in the big part and Nathan walks now).

I always seem to get more done when I don't plan to do anything at all!
I made a point to stay home today and have pajama day, as I've been really tired the last couple of days. The weekend didn't feel like a weekend, and they days are so long with Tim's longer commute. (Tomorrow he'll leave super early and get home by 4:30- so we're hoping that'll be a better schedule for us all, as it will bring some relief during the more difficult late-afternoon hours.) So, today, even though I stayed home and planned very little, I got a lot done: planted the reblooming lilac sitting on my countertop that I received a few days ago, did a BUNCH of laundry, dishes, and vacuumed, and first thing in the morning I got the boys' furniture all rearranged and set up as I wanted it, and dusted and vacuumed the room. I was able to do that partly before Tim left, and before Allison woke up (she had already gotten up for a first feeding at 6). It was great and I felt so productive.
So with the new schedule, Tim will leave at 6:30- so I'm hoping to get to bed early and wake up as soon as Allison does, around 6 for her first feeding. Maybe if I'm lucky I can even get a shower in the morning! I also hope to maintain my workout schedule by going to the YMCA (just joined last week) on Tuesday morning during preschool (so I'll just leave Allison at the childcare there for an hour or less), Thursday afternoons with all the kids- might help break up that crazy afternoon time- but with Tim coming home earlier, I might be able to go alone once in awhile!, and Saturday mornings as a family. I did that last week and maybe that was why I was so tired. I will hopefully get used to it and the exercise will start to energize me (I hope!). Tim and I actually got to walk around the track there together, without kids, without interruptions- I also hope to swim with the kids, and maybe even alone once in awhile to get a workout in.

Cute Nathan sayings before I forget:

I colored in a truck for him quickly with a brown marker, and Nathan said:
"I don't think I can go that fast because I'm really a man."
I guess women just color faster.

Near bedtime, the boys were playing on their new beds in their new, rearranged room, and all 5 of us were hanging out in there. Nathan put his face really close to Blake's and almost licked his face and mouth, and Tim said, "Whatever you're doing, it doesn't look good." Nathan replied, "We're just mouth fighting." (He made that up on the spot, we could tell.) We couldn't help but crack up. We suggested foot fighting instead...

Allison is a great baby. She has been sleeping 12 hours a night with no wakeups or feedings! Lately she's been having a harder time getting to sleep, so i started to suspect teething- but tonight I put her down for bed at 6pm when she fussed in her bouncy chair, and she went to sleep without any fussing (even though the boys kind of woke her up a bit before they went to bed at 7:30, she never really cried). She's a great baby, and really dealing well overall with the schedule she has to follow b/c of the boys' preschool morning schedule two days a week. She just gets toted around all the time, and sometimes protests in the car (she likes to be "free" on the floor and stretch her limbs and roll around the most).
Today I joined the YMCA near us, to get back in shape and have a fun family place to go in the winter, especially. Allison came with while the boys were at preschool, and fell asleep on the car on the way. She stayed asleep there awhile even with all the noise (maybe she's used to it b/c of her brothers) and woke up and was happy being held by one of the workers there. I was glad it worked out- that might be my new Tuesday routine (and we'll go at least a couple more days a week- I'd like to take the boys swimming and maybe even take a swimming class with Blake on Saturdays or something, like I did with Nathan when he was almost 2).
Blake has been having a hard time going to bed at night the past month or so. He had been going to bed pretty well (coming out of his room a couple times for various excuses, but went to bed in a reasonable amount of time) after changing his crib into a toddler bed. Then, he started getting up all the time. We put a twin mattress on the floor (got rid of the toddler bed- he was too big for it!) and hoped that would make things better. He had been getting up into Nathan's bed all the time! But, it hasn't. In fact, the past couple nights have been the worst yet- not going to sleep for an hour or two after putting him down, coming out of his room saying "wawa" for water, or "buh buh" for diaper, when he didn't really need to be changed. Tonight, he did this a ton.
Finally, after Tim and I had both taken turns putting him back in his room a few times, we'd moved Nathan to our bed so he could sleep in peace while we closed the door so Blake didn't wake anyone up (we also wondered if it would help him realize it was bedtime or something), but nothing helped. I started to wonder if he was sick or something.
I went up there to investigate, and it seems that all he wanted was some one-on-one time with mommy! I sat next to him and rubbed his back, and legs (I wondered if he was having growing pains, but he didn't point to his legs or anything), and talked to him, went through what we did today, talked about preschool... he just needed some quality time from me. Poor middle child... this might be our new nightly routine. We always do the brush teeth, pj's, storytime, bedtime prayer... but Blake just needs a little more. Especially now that he's been in preschool for three weeks (twice a week), I think he misses me a bit more. But he does love preschool and never cries there- just is a little apprehensive for a few minutes when we get there, and has to warm up and take everything in. I leave him with his blankie which helps! Every time I mention preschool, he immediately says "Bubba" for bubble- they have a bubble machine, and he loves them- and then "Pop!" Our chiropractor taught him that bubbles pop, and it's the clearest word he can say yet!
The past couple weeks, Nathan has been our little artist! He has been drawing up a storm, drawing cars, and people, and trains, and having us draw things that he colors, or he draws "bones" inside the dinosaur I drew, and stuff like that. All of the following drawings were completely done by him, however:
( A few of his 'masterpieces' )

It's so easy to make a 4-year old laugh. Nathan's cousin Natalie has been here the past three days, and they are having tons of fun together. I'm enjoying watching them interact, too. They are so cute together, and it's weird seeing our "babies" as regular little kids now!
Before dinner I asked the kids if they were all washed up for dinner. Natalie said she didn't just wash her hands, she washed "everything." I said, "You mean, you even washed your FEET?" and that made her crack up. Nathan's the same way- add "pants" into any sentence, or "naked" or "butt" (I know, so inappropriate- I'm a horrible mom) and he instantly cracks up. He likes to call himself "Mr. Naked Butt" (of course I tell him this isn't appropriate, while I'm trying not to laugh). It is true though, as he walks around after baths with no pants on.
4 year olds, bringing out the best in us adults!

I just did some calculations. I heard that your child's height at 2 years old is half of their adult height. So I doubled the boys' heights, and it says Nathan will be 6 ' 3.5" (basically, Tim's height), and Blake will be 5'11" (the height of one of my brothers).

Nathan, carrying the pepper around again this morning, just said, "Here Daddy, smell this pepper!"
Tim said, "Mmm, smells peppery!"
Nathan replied, "Yes, that's because it is peppery smelling!"

I just went this morning and got photos taken of the kids at our nearest Portrait Innovations. The photographer today was very good and more experienced than other photographers I've had there and at JCPenney. He knew how to make the kids laugh and was really good with them! He could even throw a stuffed animal in the air, catch it, and get the shot (I saw a newer photographer try that last time, and it was kind of sad, poor lady). They don't compare to last summer's outdoor photos, but they are pretty nice!
( A Sample )

We went to my mom's for lunch and picked a few vegetables from her garden- a few baby tomatoes (which are just now growing and ripening, with this cold summer), a zucchini, a couple green peppers, a purple pepper, a red onion, some herbs, and a kohlrabi. Super cool! Nathan was so excited to help harvest these, that he wanted to hold one on the way home in the van.
From the back, I hear: "Mommy?"
"Yes, honey?"
"I love holding a vegetable and going home."
(me laughing quietly, he continues:)
"If I couldn't hold a vegetable, I'd be really upset.
Holding a vegetable keeps me happy."

I called my mom right away to tell her about this cuteness, and after hearing about Nathan's extreme happiness to be holding a vegetable, she said, "Which one is he holding? Because I'm going to get one!"'

(it was a purple pepper)

***WARNING***WARNING ***WARNING ***WARNING ***WARNING ***

DO NOT LET BABY GIRL GET OVERTIRED>>>> WILL SCREAM FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES>>>NOTHING WILL HELP>>> DO NOT BOTHER ROCKING FEEDING HOLDING SINGING>>> ONLY CAR WILL HELP AT THAT POINT
END NOTICE


Ok, I know that was annoying, but I don't want to forget this important fact again!!!

Oh, and I just realized I hadn't updated- around 8-10 weeks or so she actually started liking the car and stopped crying so much! If it's moving, that is. Finding her thumb/hand helped that a lot.

I finally put up some pictures from the last month or so. You can check them out here.

We were unfortunately rear-ended yesterday by a teenager in a station-wagon type of car on the way to my parents'. All five of us were in the car, Tim was driving- after the light turned green, the traffic took longer than normal to move and the girl didn't notice. When we were hit I screamed, since I didn't know what was happening, and then realized we'd been hit from behind. It spooked me, and I turned around to look at the kids and Nathan and Allison started crying. Blake didn't flinch, although he had a wide-eyed look- Tim joked that Blake was like, "Is that all you got!?" Nathan and Allison were pretty upset though but after they calmed down we all seemed fine. I'm taking all the kids (and myself!) to the chiropractor tomorrow to make sure all is well.
The bumper of the van just has some minor cosmetic flaws and paint flaking off, so hopefully that will be resolved simply enough. We hope to get an estimate soon, talk to the parents of the girl (we didn't file a report or the cop would have had to give her a ticket) and just deal with it without insurance- that way the parents won't get slapped with higher rates. I think she was grateful we didn't file the report.
So with a half-hour delay we continued on with our night. Thankfully everyone is ok!

Tonight Nathan wanted to switch beds with Blake, so we let them. (Blake's been climbing up into Nathan's bed with him at some point in the last couple nights- either before or after Nathan fell asleep, I'm not sure). After about a half hour, we heard Nathan say, "Blake's bed is too hard for me!" so they switched back (Blake wanted to go back to his bed too, when I asked him. Thankfully!) I think I might start calling Nathan our little Prince!

Allison found her feet in the last few days and sometimes holds one while lying on her back. She is so sweet; she smiles so big at us and makes cute little girl baby noises. My boys were definitely more "grunty" and loud, but her noises are sweet high-pitched sighs, and little coos and goos (she copies my gurgly "goos" all the time).
Today I got a few small little laughs out of her for the first time- she laughed when I held both her arms up in the air and made some noise like "whee!" I hope to duplicate it soon for the camera!