Florida Trip

Last month the boys and I went to Florida for a visit. I know what you're thinking...why on Earth would I want to spend 10 hours in a car with an infant and a 3-year old who never stops talking. Well it was TOTALLY worth it! We got to meet Gracie (Melissa's new baby girl) and Wes (Katrina's new baby boy). The trip honestly wasn't bad at all until the last couple of hours when we were all DONE with being confined to our seats. We drove down on a Tuesday, making a lot of stops and turning an 8-8 1/2 hour trip into an 11 hour trip. The worst thing about it was the guilt over poor Kaelan spending almost his entire day in a carseat. But he's a trooper and thankfully loves to watch movies!!! Katrina and Wes flew down from Indiana on Wednesday and the real fun began. We had a fabulous time with trips to Monkey Joes and Downtown Disney and simply hanging out at home. It was so much fun to see all the babies and watch Kaelan and Jack (Melissa's 17-month old) play together. We missed Paigie (Katrina's 2-year old) but flying with a toddler and an infant would be a little much, don't you agree! The time flew by WAY too fast but we look forward to our annual "friends" trip in July where we'll finally get to meet baby Ryan, Kelly and Nick's brand new baby girl. Boy will that be a VERY FULL chalet!

The babies youngest to oldest- Gracie, Maddox, and Wes. All were born within weeks of each other.

Laughing at Aunt Melissa in their matching outfits that Aunt Katrina bought for them

Giving Gracie a kiss (while squeezing her head of course)

The boys watching TV together in their matching pajamas from Christmastime.

Hug or collision? I'll let you decide. :)

My little pirate sailing the high seas at Monkey Joes

Going through a blow up obstacle course

Jack LOVING the big slide!

K's turn!

Hangin' with Buzz in Downtown Disney

Playing in the splash fountains at Downtown Disney. SO FUN!!!!!

Kaelan's Belated 3-year Well Visit

Kaelan had his 3-year well check today (Saturday, June 12). I know, I know...he's been 3 for 5 months now, but who knew he had to have a check-up every year if no shots are necessary? Wait, don't answer that. :) Anyways, we were thrilled to learn that he's doing fabulously! Small, but very healthy. At just under 32 lbs, he's only in the 25th percentile for weight and 30th for height measuring 38 1/2" tall. Although he was a little scared at first (he had a very terrorizing and obviously memorable visit with a different doctor last year), he relaxed quickly. Dr. Patel came in and gave Kaelan a tongue depresser to play with and talked to him a bit and it put him at ease. K let him do everything he needed to do without any complaints or even hesitation. We really like our pediatrician now, thank god!!! After he finished with the examination, Dr. Patel asked if we had any questions or concerns. I jokingly asked if it was possible for a child to talk TOO much (the kid just won't shut up - EVER!). Honestly, he has REALLY begun to test Mommy and Daddy's patience lately because there is just constant noise coming from his mouth and he insists that you attend and respond to all of it. The good news is that the Dr. said that it's a sign of intelligence. Now, you all know that as much as we love our kids, we're not those parents that think they are any better than anybody else's kids. But to hear this made us very proud and a little humbled considering how annoyed we get with this so called "intelligence". :) He suggested puzzles (which K loves) and continued literacy stimuli (letter recognition and sounds as well as whole language). Needless to say we went directly to Toys R Us for a new puzzle to practice. All-in-all it was a fabulous appointment for the whole family.

Showing off his new pirate shirt that changes color in the sun. Nana and Papa got him this shirt at the Charleston market during our trip to Isle of Palms. (post and pics from that trip soon to come)

Enjoying a grilled cheese sandwish for lunch after a morning on the beach.

Sporting a Play-Doh Spiderman mask (thanks Daddy!)

Sailing the high seas at Monkey Joes during our trip to Orlando to see the McCormicks. (again, post and pics from that trip coming soon)

P.S. I promise the next post will be about little Maddox.

Our Big Boy

Ok, so here's my problem. We have a very uneventful life that usually doesn't merit a new post. But, then a bunch of intersting/fun/exciting things happen all at once and although I want to share it all with everyone right away, it's usually so much that the blog seems so overwhelming. As you can imagine, there isn't a ton of free time that's not taken up by at least one of the kids (Mike included...hahaha). So, in an attempt to not take up too much of your time, and to take advantage of the short free moments I have, I'm going to post a bunch of shorter posts. Here goes...

Well, it's official. We truly have a big boy on our hands. Kaelan is not my little mama's boy anymore (not by my choice of course). He has been potty trained for quite some time now but was still using his pull-up during sleep times for #2. He now uses the potty for everything and stays dry during naps and often times at night as well. His vocabulary is extensive and he's not afraid to share it with ANYONE. He can have a complete and very detailed conversation, often repeating things over and over again either to get his point across or to simply prolong the conversation for attention. There are MANY days (usually on the weekends) that Mike and I miss the days when he couldn't talk. Sometimes we have to tell him that we need a break for a few minutes and that we shouldn't talk. I know it sounds horrible but trust me, it is NECESSARY! So, on top of being completely potty trained and OVERLY verbal, he now knows how to ride his bicycle. We made the mistake of getting him a big boy bike and bypass the tricycle. As I said in a previous post, we regretted that decision because he didn't understand that to go forward you have to press the pedals foward. We attempted to teach him this using a big wheel but the poor guy can't reach the pedals. We've tried on numerous occassions to ride his bicycle but he just coudn't quite get the hang of it. However, one evening a couple weeks ago, he randomly wanted to ride his bicycle so we got it out and off he went. Out of nowhere he began pedaling correctly and moving forward. We of course were so happy and proud, but no one more proud than Kaelan himself. Although he still had some trouble here and there, he was determined and we went all the way to the end of the street. Unfortunately, by the time we had to turn around, he was over it and Mommy had to push the bike all the way back home. A small price to pay for sharing such a fabulous experience. I do miss my little man but I'm so proud of everything he is accomplishing. Here are some pics and a video to share.