Happy 6th Birthday Emma Caroline!!

Taken on her birthday, before school...

I cannot believe that my baby girl turned 6 on Wednesday! Has it really been 6 years since I had my baby girl? I will never forget the excitement and anticipation of being pregnant with my first baby...and then when we found out it was a GIRL...all of my dreams had come true.

Emma has a little scar on her cheek...a permanent reminder of her delivery. It is barely a whisp of a scar...you would never notice it if you didn't already know it was there. My labor with her was going so well...I was progressing quickly and the nurse was going over "pushing instructions"after 7 or 8 hours of being in labor--I was dilated to a 9.5. But as she was starting to descend into the birth canal, her heart rate dived and was not returning to normal. I remember my body just started shaking...from labor and mostly from just being nervous and terrified . I just wanted them to get her out as quickly as possible...we all knew the consequences of a baby being deprived of oxygen for too long. So they rushed me into the OR, and within minutes (at 2:03 am) we had our perfect, healthy baby girl. She was perfectly healthy...and the doctor thought that her shoulder was pushing against her umbilical cord which was causing her heart rate to drop each time she would try to descend into the birth canal. And then we noticed the nick on her tiny cheek...and we were told that the doctor did it while rushing to get her out. It broke my heart--I didn't want her to have a scar on her face for the rest of her life. But as Mike reminded me of often, a tiny scar on her face is so minimal to what could have happened had they not acted as quickly as they did.(cerebral palsy from oxygen deprivation for one) (And did you know that when you sign consent forms for a c-section, they list nicks/lacerations as being possible results of the procedure? Oh the research I did afterwards...)

And looking back, I realize that there are so many things that could have went wrong, so that tiny scar really is so very minimal. And look what we have today...a beautiful, healthy, smart and sweet 6 year old little girl who amazes us every single day! Happy Birthday Emma Caroline.

Emma is doing wonderful in school. She has started the accelerated reading program this year and LOVES it. She loves school and loves her teacher. She is doing Daisy Scouts this year, and art lessons with Ms. Regina, and will start ballet next week. She makes her mommy and daddy so proud and we love her more than words can say.

For her birthday dinner, she wanted to make pizzas!
Gabe and I brought treats to her class! (Gabe took this picture of Emma)
Opening her presents...

She LOVES hula hooping...she does it every single day and is great at it!

Gabe's 4 year old checkup!

Today was my little man's 4 year checkup! He now weighs 41 1/2 pounds and is 41 inches tall! (75% for height and 90% for weight). The doctor said that he is growing wonderfully, and that his height and weight are proportional. And he said that Gabe is certainly not overweight.. In other words, he is PERFECT and HEALTHY!! He's definitely going to be a tall boy! And Gabe is so muscular--Mike always points out his little arm and calf muscles when he's hard at play. He has such an athletic build already, which is good since he is going to be a great little athlete! :)

Gabe was so good for Dr. Compton. In fact, he was tallking to the doctor a lot. I had written down that I was concerned about his speech. I can understand what he's saying, but sometimes strangers have a hard time understanding him. And Dr. Compton told me that while he was listening to Gabe talk (a mile a minute), he could understand at least 75% of everything he was saying. He told me that he didn't think Gabe needed any intervention at all. If time progresses and I feel like his speech hasn't improved, then we can have him evaluated. But for now, again, he's perfect. Gabe asked the doctor if he could listen to his heart, and Dr. Compton put the stethoscope in his ears and let him listen. Gabe was so curious and asking tons of questions.

We did a developmental questionaire, and Gabe scored at a 5 year old level! He only missed a couple--he couldn't draw a person with 6 body parts. He only drew a circle with a little circle. And the other one he missed was regarding balance. He only could stand on one foot for 3 seconds instead of 8. He is so smart, and Dr. Compton told us that as well. He was very impressed with our little guy.

And then came the bad part--the shots. Gabe knew because when the doctor left, he asked me why the nurse was coming back. And he told me that he didn't want any shots. I told him that he had to get a few so that he would stay healthy. He told me, "But mommy I am already healthy!" And he had to get 4 shots--5 immunizations since one was a booster. It was terrible. He even cried in the van, telling me that his legs were still hurting. I am so glad it's over with!! Mike took him (and Emma) for ice cream after they picked Emma up from school--Gabe deserved it after all of that trauma.

Now here's hoping for a HEALTHY fall and winter season!

Happy 4th birthday Gabe!!

Happy birthday Gabriel Allen! I still cannot believe that my youngest is now 4 and that it's already been 4 years since we brought him home from the hospital. I know I always write about this...but he was such a calm and sweet and easy baby. I will always cherish the moment when I was finally brought into my hospital room from recovery, and our newborn baby boy and daddy were waiting for me. I spoke his name, and he turned his tiny head to look at me. He has been a mommy's boy from the very beginning. :) I was reading his journal that I keep for him, and the first night home he slept from 11 to 6, woke up to nurse and then went back to sleep until 8! We were totally expecting him to wake every 2 hours to nurse (just like big sister), but he surprised us. And he always slept great after that first night too!

And now, instead of a baby, I have this amazing little boy who loves his family, has tons of energy (and Mike and I always talk about how when Gabe plays, he plays hard and puts every ounce of energy in it), loves to pick his mommy flowers,( and melted my heart when I went to pick him up from preschool last week and he pulled one out of his pocket to give to me that he had picked while out on the playground,) loves riding his scooter, loves playing and running, loves playing with his big sister and will play whatever she wants him to (even if it includes princesses and evil witches which it often does), loves playing soccer and tball and is patiently waiting until next year when he can finally play on a youth league in Rineyville, loves playing video games with his daddy, loves reading stories about CARS at bedtime, loves playing with cars and trucks and trains, still loves his Aw Bear and blanket, loves mac and cheese and chocolate milk (and grapes and apples too) and LOVES giving hugs and kisses!

Gabe is doing great in preschool. He is getting really good at tracing his letters and numbers. He can write the letter "G" and numbers "1" and "0". I have been trying to practice with him on writing his name, but he's just not interested. It frustrates me, but I know that he will do it when he's ready. He knows all of his letters and numbers and shapes and colors. He LOVES show n tell, and is so anxious to get to school on those days. And so far, he loves going to school every day! He loves playing with his friends, and he loves his teacher. He never cries when mommy leaves him. He truly is a big boy! I can't wait until his 4 year checkup to see how much he has grown and developed! (But he will get some immunizations at this visit, which I dread!!)

So on Sunday we let him pick what he wanted to do for his special day, and he told us that he wanted to go to Blazers. So Blazers is where we went! Emma and Gabe had so much fun jumping and sliding and climbing on the inflatables. They also played putt putt golf and loved it. They had a wonderful time. When we got home, we had cake and sang to our sweet boy. He LOVED everything, even the lopsided cake that his mommy made for him. :0) We love you Gabe!!




Happy 4th Birthday sweet boy!
Daddy and his little buddy!
Look how much fun they were having! I LOVE this picture!

Gabriel

I cannot believe that my little boy will be 4 on Sunday! We were looking at baby pictures last night, and it literally seems like yesterday that we were bringing our new baby boy home from the hospital. The years are flying by. Sunday we will have a family party at our house for him. And he and Emma will have a big (combined) party on the 29th at a gymnastics place in town. Gabe invited some of his little friends, and Emma invited some of hers. I know that the time will come when they will insist on having their own individual parties (probably next year), but they both agreed to having it together one more time. I still can't believe their birthdays are only 10 days apart! August is always one long month of birthday celebrations!

Gabe has been doing great at preschool. He likes his class and his teacher. Ms. Diana's class is certainly more structured than Ms. Michelle's 3 year old class was, but structure is what Gabe needs. And Ms.Diana does a wonderful job with getting them ready for Kindergarten.

Last night, we were driving home after eating dinner out, and Gabe said, "Daddy, mommy and Emma are in my family and in my heart." He melted mommy's and daddy's hearts.

And then, last night before bed, Gabe wanted to look at one of his baby photo albums. So we were looking at the pictures, and he started crying. I mean, a heartbroken cry with crocodile tears falling. He told me that he still wanted to be a baby. I told him that he was a big boy now, and that big boys get to do fun stuff that babies can't do--like play and run and play video games (which he loves). He finally stopped crying and was ready to turn the light out for bed. It took me off guard, and will certainly tell the pediatrician about it at his 4 year checkup.

I am so thankful for my sweet little boy, and am looking forward to celebrating his 4th birthday on Sunday!

First Day of School!!

Well, it's official! I now have a First Grader and a 4-year-old preschooler. Today could not have gone any better! We all got ready and drove Emma to school and walked her to class (while mommy took a video). Then Mike, Gabe and I went to breakfast and then we dropped our preschooler off. He absolutely loved his class, and his teacher. Really, the day could not have gone any better! We are so blessed. Emma got the teacher we requested for her--yay! And she really is such a sweet teacher and we have heard only wonderful things about her. And of course, Gabe has the same teacher Emma had when she was in 4-year-old preschool, and she's a sweetheart as well. It really does help when you know that you are leaving your babies in such good hands. Enjoy the pictures!! Gabe and his sweet little class! Making a silly face at daddy! Sweet boy! Mommy and Gabe after we ate breakfast! Our little first grader in her new classroom! Daddy and Emma walking into the school. They really do love each other. :) Our beautiful babies on their first day of school!

Holiday World 2010!

Yesterday Mike and I took the kids to Holiday World! The kids (and mommy and daddy) had a blast! We rode so many rides! One of the great things about Holiday World is that so many of the rides and attractions are geared for small kids! The park has sections that are divided up into "Holidays" and we started out in 4th of July and rode most of the rides there. Then we went to the Christmas section, then to Halloween and Thanksgiving. We met up with some friends there, and the hubbies babysat while Carmen and I rode 1 roller coaster (The Voyage). It was so much fun! Hot, but fun! It is nice that the park has free drinks and sunblock!

One of Emma and Gabe's favorite rides was "Frightful Falls" in Halloween part, (aka the log flume water ride). We all were able to ride in it together, and when we finished riding it the first time, the kids wanted to get back in line and ride it again. So we did. We ended the day by spending some time in the huge water park.



Emma on the seahorses
Emma rode the rockets while Gabe waited for a second turn on the bumper boats!

Bumper boats!

One of Gabe's favorite rides!

Emma!

Mommy and Gabe

Gabe loved the train, but he told me he wanted it to go faster!

Mike is the blue blur, and Emma is on the end. When the ride started, I heard Emma yell, "This is awesome!"

See Emma in the corner? She wanted to go on this ride, so Mike took her. It spun around really fast, and I still cannot believe she wanted to ride it. But she did, and loved every minute of it.

The outside of the Revolution. Emma's new favorite ride.

Adventure girl waiting to go on the Revolution.

Sweet Gabe!

She still likes the kiddie rides too, thank goodness!

Canoe ride--they both were a bit bored by this one. :)

Posing!

Gabe and daddy on the Paul Revere ride. I took this one before Emma informed me that she had seen a sign that said, "No cameras allowed on ride." Oops!
Emma, Gabe and Brendan waiting patiently to ride.
What a sweet picture! Emma, Brendan and Gabe

Summer update!

Gabe, Emma and Maddie on July 4th!

It has been a great Summer, and I cannot believe that school will start in 2 weeks! (August 4th) We have been keeping busy--swimming and playing outside and playdates with old friends and more swimming and playing! And we took the kids to see Toy Story 3 and Shrek 4. On July 4th we went to Mike's parents for swimming, a cookout, fireworks and a bonfire! The kids had a blast!

Saturday night, Mike and Gabe went and saw Despicable Me and Emma and I saw Eclipse. Yes, Emma wanted to see it with me. She watched Twilight and New Moon too. :) Towards the end of the movie, I really had to use the restroom, but Emma asked me if I could "hold it" since she didn't want to miss any of Eclipse. LOL!! So I did. She is "Team Edward" too, just like her mommy!

Emma got her first library card and she has been reading a lot of books. Thursday night Barnes and Noble had An American Girl event, and we went. It was for girls 7 years and up, but I knew Emma would be ok since she has read a few of the books already. And of course she will sit still to do the craft. When Emma told everyone that she liked the Samantha mysteries, and that she was currently reading The Curse of Ravenscourt, one of the moms came over to me to ask me how old Emma was (5) and how long she had been reading. She told me she was surprised at how articulate Emma was! She was the only 5 year old there...the rest of the girls were 8 and 9. It amazes me how well that Emma not only reads, but comprehends the stories. She is a gifted reader, and loves to read everything. Handwriting is another story...she hates to practice her handwriting. LOL.

She also attended art camp in June and loved every minute of it. She LOVES to draw and paint, and even painted a Jackson Pollock canvas which is now hanging on our wall. The art teacher had them draw their "self portraits" on the side of the art studio. Emma's was so cute, complete with a pink bow! Let me just say...that Emma does not get her creativity from me! She can draw much better than I ever could!

Emma's self portrait!

Her Jackson Pollock painting--which we framed!

She loved art camp and Ms. Regina!

And the big news...she got her first pair of glasses on Friday! Last year at her Kindergarten eye exam, the doctor told us that he knew that Emma was going to need glasses, but that she was ok to start Kindergarten without them. But by the end of the school year, she was squinting more, and having trouble seeing things from a distance. And it was definitely getting worse as the Summer progressed, so we finally took her Friday knowing she would have a pair of glasses when we walked out. Her vision was 20/50 in each eye, and she has a mild astigmatism. She picked out the frames she wanted, and thankfully our insurance covered 2 pair! So she has a backup pair. But she loves them, and loves being able to see clearly now. And let me tell you, she looks so adorable in them. See for yourself...

Giving daddy a night night kiss!

Isn't she beautiful?

Posing for mommy!

We had Gabe's eyes checked too, and he was a little far-sighted, which is common and normal for preschoolers. We will take him back next year to see how he's doing.The doctor was amazed that Gabe knew all of his letters because most preschoolers do the exam with pictures instead of letters. He even tried to help his sister when she was having trouble seeing the letters. LOL. We had to move him so that he couldn't see the letters while she was having her exam. Oh, and a few days a go, Gabe wrote a "G" on his doodle pad. So far, that's the only letter he can write from his name. I try not to think about the fact the Emma was writing her name before she graduated 3 year old preschool. But he does know all of his letters...and he was the only one in his preschool class that did. So that's encouraging...I am sure that he will start writing his name in 4 year old preschool. Hopefully!!

"> Gabe likes to play cowboy.

Cowboys like to brush their teeth!

Putting his toothbrush away! That big hat makes me laugh!

Giving daddy a night night kiss!

So now, we are going to enjoy the rest of the Summer! There are only 2 weeks left of it! Next Monday, we are going with some friends and taking the kids to Holiday World! They have been asking to go all Summer. And we have planned a family vacation over Fall Break, and we all are looking forward to that!!

Saturday night, Mike brought out the telescope after we had grilled out. The kids were so excited!!

Gabe loved it!

Emma had a lot of questions of course...and she loved it!