Air Show

We hit the air show this weekend. It was hot, sunny, and windy. Bryson and I made a base camp and camped out under the wing of a B-1 while others went out to explore and get a better view. Rob was in heaven and we thought the kids would be more excited this year, but as you can see they were less than impressed until the end when the Thunder Birds came out. They did get their token jet and enjoy playing with them. Rob looks forward to the day when the kids get just as excited as he does when he gets to go to the air show.
Bryson slept through most of the experience!

Newborn to an Infant

What? I'm not a newborn anymore? I'm an infant?

Soccer

Mason is back to playing soccer.

Bryson 1 Month Old

Bryson is officially 1 month old, where does the time go? I know I am not sleeping it away. He is a sweet baby who likes to be held most of the time. I guess I can't blame him, he was all snug and warm while I was carrying him inside of me and he is just having an adjustment phase. I think he might be refluxing as well. We took him in for a weight check so we could give him some Zantac and he weighs 9lbs 15oz. He is growing!

Is That A Pirate

We are out on a walk around the neighborhood this morning when Mason asks me "Is that a pirate mom?" I look around and spot what he sees. Some workers were taking a break and sitting in the shade and one had a bandanna around his head. I tried to explain that it wasn't a pirate, it was a worker just trying to keep cool and possibly sweat out of their eyes, but Mason's mind was already gone. He didn't hear a word I said. He wanted to know where all his pirate things were and if he was going to go back to the pirate ship soon. Then he came to the conclusion that all his pirate things must be on his ship.

Carnival

We had our first carnival experience last night with the kids. Rob and I played our own free game of who can spot a mullet first. It is sad to report that no one won. It is funny on how something that was once lustrous and magical isn't so magical once you are older. The good news is that my kids still find it magical, I can't wait to take them to Disney someday. We met Mason's girlfriend Brielle at the carnival and they had a great time hanging out. They did the big slide and rode some rides. Ellery wasn't tall enough to go on the big slide, but she was okay. We walked in by the carousel and her eyes lit up and she stated she wanted to ride it and wanted to sit on the monkey. She got her wish and had a joyous time riding. She waved to everyone like she was a queen and kept yelling Mason look at me every time we came around. Bryson slept through the whole experience.

Let Us In

Rob was a sweetie and cleaned my car inside and outside. The kids were "helping" him. Not sure he found it a help and I know I didn't because they would roam back inside for random items without Rob noticing. I of course noticed because they would come in all wet for random items or come in with soap in their eyes while carrying a wet sponge that hadn't been rung out. etc.... I nipped this problem in the butt and locked everyone outside. You can see in the picture how everyone responded. If I could unplug the door bell my plan would have been perfect. Mason was scoping out the insides while Ellery kept a constant finger on the door bell. Rats!

Three's A Crowd

I have to tell you, I thought Rob was crazy in all his stroller research and obsessions, but it is paying off now. We still love the Chariot and Rob takes the kids on bike rides and they really enjoy it. It was also nice for two older kids that could independently get in and out of the stroller. I have no doubt we will put many miles on it in the future again once Bryson is older. We do have a sling for it, but Bryson is not a fan of the wind and since we tend to have a steady breeze here it poses a problem for rider #2 next to him not wanting the sun and wind shield down. Which brings us back to our original purchase of the Valco. Bryson can be hidden from the elements while Ellery has the choice to sit or stand. Mason is old enough to either ride his bike or scooter. Occasionally, he will choose to ride on the back while Ellery rides in the front and Bryson is tucked in his hidey hole. A big thanks to Rob for taking my sometimes not so nice stroller comments because I am loving being able to cart 3 around the block!

Privacy Please

Ellery is not scared of the big girl toilet any more. She is also learning to keep her undies or her pants on while she goes rather than strip down to her birthday suite. Her biggest supporter during her potty training is her big brother. We can't keep him out of the bathroom while she goes, he is even content enough to find seating in the corner. Don't mind that it is a mini toilet, it won't stop him from cheering her on. It is funny toys didn't motivate Ellery to go #2 like they did for Mason. Candy did the trick for her.

Bryson

If only we knew what they were thinking??

Mothering Awards-The Winner Is....Not Me

I don't foresee any mommy of the year awards in my future or even a mommy of the day award. I will work on my acceptance speech for another day. Maybe I should start myself a star chart for not harming my kids or them harming themselves?? Or I need an exhaustion meter?

The Harming Story: The last two mornings have been rough. I was extremely exhausted yesterday, and I am sitting and feeding Bryson when Mason announces he needs to go poop. Prior to Bryson's arrival we started teaching Mason to wipe himself. He usually does a fine job. He is allowed 3 squares and the way he counts it usually ends up being 5-6 squares but we are ok with it. That is why we say three and not 6, so we don't end up with more. Ellery went to the bathroom with him and announced she needed to poop too. I leave them to their business for a bit, but my bit was way to long. I put Bryson down and he starts his instant screaming because he wasn't done feeding, yet he has no way to know that I just need to give some bathroom assistance and will be right back. Well, the right back was incorrect as well. I walk into the bathroom and Mason doesn't have a square to spare (any Seinfeld fans), he has unloaded the whole roll of toilet paper into the toilet. Big Sigh. Ellery was so into watching him wipe (lord only knows how many times to use that much toilet paper) that she has pooped in her big girl undies. Of course this one time it isn't a solid as it should be and we get stool all over the place. At this point I want to give my children away. We can't put anything in the toilet because it is clogged with water it to the rim, so I have to shut the water off before it over flows. Oh it was a mess. Instead of beating my children I just start crying hysterically. That is when Mason tells me "it is ok mom sometimes we just have bad days" and gives me a hug. So now I feel bad for scolding my children along with the thoughts of giving them an old fashioned spanking because he is being so sweet. Everything is cleaned and working. My tears are dry and I got some sleep last night. Mason knows he can only spare 3 squares or mom might lose it again. Poor Ellery just had bad timing. Thank goodness for good ol' Seinfeld, in this darkest event I was able to smile thinking about sparing a square.

The Harming Themselves:Which brings us to my parenting award for today. We went for a walk this am and usually Bryson loves the movement, but not today. He started crying 3 houses out and never stopped. Mason and Ellery kept announcing to me that Bryson wasn't happy like I was an idiot and couldn't hear him whaling the whole walk. We made it through the walk, get home and open the garage door. Nothing different than normal, Mason and Ellery like to stand in front of the garage door and touch the handles as it goes up, they pretend they are help lifting it up. They don't hold on, just give a little umph and away they run into the garage. Well, not today. I enter the key code, the garage starts going up, I turn to start pushing in the stroller, turn back around and see Ellery dangling in the air about 3-4 ft. I start lifting her off and realize she stuck her finder into a small hole on the handle and have to lift her up to get her finger out of the hole. Thank goodness she was smart enough to grab hold of the other handle with her other hand or she would have been dangling by a finger. I luckily saved her before she was drug up into where the garage door meets the house structure. I didn't push the button to stop the garage door because I just assumed she was holding on and was lifted up too high and didn't want to let go. Poor thing couldn't let go. The good news is that I don't think she is going to stick her finger into small spaces anytime soon. I also think I am going to look up who makes our garage and write them a letter letting them know the danger it could cause.Guess which finger looks bigger than the others?

Love to Hold

This little man loves to be held and not only by me. Luckily it is a two way street on the holder and heldee. Mason asks to hold Bryson all the time. If Mason gets to hold him then is spurs Ellery's interest to hold him as well. Mason gives comments like "ohh he is so cute and small" "ohh look at his tiny ears" etc. I'll have to watch, I think he is repeating and mimicking what people say about Bryson when they stop by to see him. Everyone is adjusting better than expected to being a family of 5, except the cat. Poor DC acts like she is stared for attention more than normal. Mason and Ellery are requesting more hugs through the day and more snuggle time from me at bedtime, but doing really well with the big family change.

Bryson 3 Weeks

Watch me grow!

Bowling at a Party

Mason had a birthday party this weekend. We sent him to the party with a friend and met back up with them an hour later. Brielle's dad took this video of Mason bowling while we were gone. Mason refused to use the ramp and he proves he doesn't need it! Rumor has it all his friends were envious of his bowling skills. He does have some natural athletic ability, this is only his second time bowling.

Wine and Balloon Festival

We loaded everyone up and headed out to the Wine and Balloon Festival. Surprise Surprise it was too windy to launch the balloons and they usually line up a few in a row to do the night glow. They only blew one up at a time, but we still had a spectacular view. The kids enjoyed listening to music and playing outside while Bryson slept through the whole festival.

Grandma Ellen Passes Through

Grandma Ellen passed through on her way home from SD and we had a wonderful time with her visiting. We really enjoyed all of her help especially cuddling Bryson. He is getting better on not having to be held all the time, but I think Grandma Ellen really enjoyed her snuggling time with him. Thanks for all of your help! We really appreciate it and I know Rob is especially thankful for all of your ironing, I know I am!

Mason in the morning

I was a bit tired this am so I went down and turned on PBS for kids at 6:45 for Mason to watch. As I was heading back upstairs to get a little extra shut eye, Mason points at the portable crib we have in the living room and states "You can put Bryson right there and I will watch him for you." Isn't he the sweetest. Offering to babysit at such a young age. No need to worry Bryson was tucked away upstairs safe in his crib.

Ellery Potty Training

This sweet sweet girl is almost potty trained. While we were in the hospital having Bryson, Nana took on potty training with Ellery. Nana might have to write a book or something because Ellery has been going like a champ since. A big thank you to Nana! We were struggling with going #2, but she has conquered that fear as well and has gone #2 on the potty chair the past two days. We are proud as can be, and since we have been home a bit more the past two weeks we have been able to set the timer and watch her go. One would think she would fight us or regress with a new baby around, but I think she likes it because she gets special attention and special treats aka candy for going #2. Nothing like getting one out of diapers while just getting one into diapers. On that note Bryson is big enough to wear 1-2 size diapers rather than newborns.

Bryson 2 week Check-up

We took Bryson in for his two week check up today.
Stats come in at:
Height: 21.5 inches ( 80%)
Weight: 8 lbs 2 oz (33%)
Head Circumference: 36.5 cm (39%)
Everything checked out fine. I am amazed at how much he has grow in two weeks. He is starting to sleep for 3-3.5 hours at a time allowing me to get 2 straight hours of sleep at night. Amazing how I find that refreshing! He used to not let us put him down and that is getting better. He will let you put him down and look around at the world, we can tell his eye sight is getting better because he followed the cat in awe. Poor DC, another kid to pull on her and chase her around. He also loves his tummy time, and is strong because he can pick his head up. When on his back he tries to roll and roll, we think he might roll over before the norm if he keeps it up.

Smile

Smile!
What a sweet sweet man I get to hold and snuggle.

New Bath Towels

Nana brought up some hooded bath towels for the kids and they love them so much they like to wear them around the house and during dinner. While they were wearing them at the table Mason wanted to be addressed as Mason Buzz which led to Ellery wanting to be Ellery Woody!

Surviving Siblings

Everyone is settling into "Life with Bryson"
I think Bryson likes the commotion and attention, and the other two sure like to give him commotion and attention. So all is good! The little man is starting to give me almost 4 hours between feedings at night, which means I can get close to 3 hours of sleep. Not every time, but better than waking up every hour!

Favorite PJ

If I do laundry I put our wing pj's in. If my kids had a choice they would wear these pj's every night. These are 4T pj's and Mason has been wearing them since November, he is closer to a 6T now. He loves them. Even if they look like capri's and his belly hangs out along with his 3/4 sleeves. Loves them so much that when we asked him to get himself dressed for the day he thought he would put his clothes over them so he could continue to wear them. Ellery loves her wing pj's Nana made for her as well. Mind have you they are long sleeved fleece, but she insists upon wearing them as well. We just pair the top with shorts, and she is happy as can be.

Ellery's Thoughts on Bryson

One word can sum up Ellery's take on Bryson-Curiosity and Eager. Curious as to why he is crying and eager to help out and sit in my lap when I am holding or feeding Bryson. She loves bringing me a diaper and wipes when I say it is time to change his diaper. She also is very generous and will drop books and stuffed toys into the portable crib we have sitting in the living room. Sharing her books is a big step, she doesn't even like to share them with Mason, she even requests to read to him. She is struggling more than Mason, but getting better as each day goes by. I just have to make sure I give her special attention.

More Visitors

Grandma Ellen stopped by for a visit on her way to Sioux Falls for a couple of days. I think she enjoyed meeting Bryson and holding him.
Uncle Tom was coming through town as well. He was thrilled to hold Bryson, as the kids were thrilled to see him.

1 Week Old

I don't know when they grow, but it has to be right before my eyes. I am amazed at how fast the week has gone by. Bryson has lost his umbilical cord and has started his growing up process. I think knowing this is my last makes me savor the smaller things more. He is doing great and claiming his place here in our family.

Mason's thoughts on Bryson

I am not sure which way Mason is leaning with Bryson. Over the past few days he has given some statements to remember.

While we were at the hospital eating dinner he asked if we could put Bryson back into my belly. It wasn't a statement that he wanted to put him back, more like keeping his options open and wondering if it would be possible if he wanted it to happen. I did ask if he wanted him to go back in and he said no, but couldn't carry his thoughts any further.

We went to Mason's t-ball game and afterwards we thought it would be a nice treat to let the kids eat at Taco Bell. For some reason they love eating inside the restaurant rather than bringing it home. When we were getting ready to leave, Mason informed me it would be ok to leave Bryson right on the table. I again tried to take it further asking him if he wanted to leave him and he said no, but we could if we wanted.

Lastly, we were talking in bed the other night and he asked if one of his friends could "borrow" his brother.

When asked if he likes having Bryson around he tells me yes and can't wait to show him how to do things like ride a bike and play with cars, but his statements aren't pointing in this direction. I am trying to give everyone enough attention and love, but I think I might have to try harder and give more.

Postings

I am going to get busy doing some back logging. It will be posted randomly, but if you want to see and read what we have been doing you will just have to scroll down and take a peek!

Things are going good, just a bit tired and busy these days! Wouldn't change it for anything!

Bath Time

We gave Bryson a shower bath in the sink and once he relaxed into it he was loving the experience. I know I took tons of photos of Mason and Ellery in hooded bath towels, and now I have started with Bryson. I think I am trying to capture the smell and the snuggling with the camera some how is why I take them and think they are precious. Who knows, all I know is that I think they are cute and adorable.

Art Work

Our artwork set is complete and our wall is full, so I guess that means Bryson is it for us. In keeping up with Rob's idea we finished Bryson's first artwork experience. We decided to do his feet like we did Ellery's rather than hands like we did with Mason. I also refused to do my foot again since some people questioned which foot was mine.